Up in the Air Movie Blurb by Shale December 20, 2009 This movie has been out for a couple of weeks but just opened at the South Beach Cineplex this weekend. It is critically acclaimed and got good reviews locally but doubtful it will be a big box-office draw. It's one of those more reflective movies about the human condition and timely to the economic recession we've been going thru with its downsizing and unemployment. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a motivational speaker who also goes to corporations all over the country and fires people when their managers don't have the balls to do it. He lives in the air and in hotels. He's made getting thru airports an art form and has more frequent flyer miles than it takes to get to the moon. He knows his job and does it well (and Clooney is great in this role). Ryan is also alone - and happily so, living life pretty much on his terms. That is, until he meets Alex (Vera Farmigo) in an airport bar, a woman with the same values. Kindred Spirits Meet in Airport Bar They compare all their gold and platinum cards over drinks and end up spending an intimate night together in his hotel room. It was so much fun that they both get out their laptops and compare schedules to make this a recurring romp. Life is good for Ryan. Until he is called in to the home office by his boss Craig (Jason Bateman) and introduced to Natalie (Anna Kendrick), a young upstart with the company who has developed a way to fire people online, doing away with flying all over the country. Hi, I'm Here to Mess Up Your Life Ryan objects enuf that Craig sends Natalie out with him to train in person-to-person firings. Ryan mentors her well and she gains new respect for the difficult task. Just Watch Me Do It Natalie also has her own interpersonal problems that Ryan has avoided for a lifetime by staying up in the air and not settling (he maintains an empty apartment that is seldom used). But wait - There's Alex, whom he has really grown to like. "I'm you Ryan, except with a vagina" This was an enjoyable, character-driven movie and not the usual romantic drama. I can see why 9 out of 10 movie critics liked it and it is a showplace for George Clooney.
I found it dragged a bit at times, but overall I liked it very much. After years of disdain, Clooney has won me over. He deserves an Oscar nomination. In my opinion, Up in the Air is much better than the over-hyped and rather boring Invictus that seems destined for a political sweep of the Oscars. Multiple nominations are in order for Up in the Air. But as for wins... The jury's still out.
