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Up In The Air poster. |
Up in the Air, Exeter Odeon, Picturehouse and Vue
109 minutes, Cert 15
By Graham Taylor
Jason Reitman is fast becoming one of the best directors of his generation.
The sublime Thank you for Smoking and superb Juno were examples of how well he can handle non-mainstream material, yet allow it to become popular due to the fact that you can relate to the characters; they’re believable, utterly charming and we get to know and understand them.
Up in the Air , his third directional effort, agrees with this statement. You may not like the characters to begin with, but once Reitman peels back the layers, we see the emotional anguish necessary to make the film a surefire hit. And a hit it is.
George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a guy contented with living out of a suitcase, as he fires people from their jobs because their bosses’ don’t have the bottle to do it themselves. He has no intention of marrying, having kids or living a normal, stable life; and he loves it.
All that changes when a young worker, Natalie Kenner (Anna Kendrick) comes up with the idea of firing people over a conference call. Ryan is determined not to let his lifestyle be dampened, and decides to show her that a human factor is needed for this heartbreaking job.
Up in the Air relies on Clooney, and he delivers one of his greatest performances. Emotionally unconnected yet suave at the same time, he brings everything to the table to make Bingham become a real person. That’s where the film succeeds- it’s very realistic. The economic downturn allows it to feel raw and real, and it resonates more now than ever.
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner have given an observant, witty script that reflects our times, which was so vital for this type of comedy-drama to work and not feel like a spoof. Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick provide strong support as Alex, the female version of Bingham, and Natalie, the naive but strong minded collegue. The Oscar nominations should be present for all three, and from this performance, Clooney should win.
The direction is fantastic from Reitman, with lots of gorgeous aerial shots and snappy movement. It works in the same way that Bingham lives his life- Up in the Air. The opening sequence is one to remember, and some of the more tender sequences work just as well (take particular notice during Bingham’s return home to his family.)
The cinematography is excellent aswell, with lots of great shots of Chicago, Manhattan etc. And the ending is incredibly strong too (and it’s a gut punching surprise), and will draw you in so much that you don’t want the film to end.
What’s most surprising though, is that Up in the Ai r actually gets better as it continues. The writing, acting, direction, cinematography and storyline become stronger and more connecting throughout, which is saying a lot since the film was brilliant to start with.
Yet the strongest point is the storyline. Because it reflects our times so much, it’s utterly engaging, catching your attention from the off. And by allowing humour to be present too, this is a fun film to see, unlike other serious Oscar pictures such as Crash, that also reflects our times.
This is a really excellent, two hour flight that you will definitely want to board again, and will hopefully sweep up at
The Oscars come March 7. My alligence to The Hurt Locker has now been halfed.
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