UP IN THE AIR by Jason Reitman
Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is travelling 320 days a year, firing people for bosses who are too cowardly to do it themselves. And he loves travelling – airports, planes, hotels, the professional politeness and the privileges that come with being a frequent flyer – that’s where he feels at home. He even gives lectures about travelling light – both emotionally and literally. “What’s in Your backpack?” is the motto of his lecture which mirrors his personal philosophy – both personal belongings and relationships are just dead weight that drags you down. The only thing that he really strives for is to reach ten million frequent flyer miles.
But his lifestyle is threatened first by new co-worker Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) who has the idea of doing the lay-offs by video conference instead of personally which would ground Ryan. And then there is his sister’s wedding and the fact it hurts him more than he thought it ever would that he is not being asked to lead her to the altar, and suddenly the casual relationship with fellow travelling businesswoman Alex (Vera Farmiga) seems to be not enough anymore.
Up in the Air is two movies for the price of one – one commenting the current economic decline with it’s mass lay-offs, the other the classic story of a man whose emotional protective shell starts to crack. All that is told in a wonderfully old-fashioned style, waiving action and hectic paces, and giving the actors time and room to carve out their characters.
Clooney and Vera Farmiga are perfectly cast and exude sparkling chemistry from playful first encounter to tender coming closer, and Anna Kendrick is both vulnerable and strong, strong enough actually to hold her own against Gorgeous George on the screen.
Missed it in the theatre? Go and get it on DVD now!
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Up in the Air movie trailer
