ON TIME: a review of "Up In The Air"

“UP IN THE AIR” Co-Written and Directed by Jason Reitman
**** (4 stars)

To those who know me and have read my thoughts of current cinema, and especially for the uninitiated, I have mentioned from time to time that I am typically not a crier in movies. The key word in that sentence is “typically,” as I have teared up or quietly sobbed every once in a while for any variety of reasons. Certainly there are the heavy hitters like Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List,” as the subject matter combined with Spielberg’s unparalleled power of reducing a viewer to their most primal emotions made for an unforgettable experience. How could one not be affected by that film? On the same expansive scale but something more personal, Writer/Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 Altmanesque epic, “Magnolia” leaves me a dish rag, as the emotional fury—especially during its second hour—is as forceful as a piercing gut punch. But then, there are the surprises, the somewhat smaller films, that offer something that speaks to my soul and before I am sometimes even aware, tears are flowing. In the past year, both “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Up” have been ones to blind side me. With “Slumdog Millionaire,” my desire for the lead character’s happiness after such a harrowing life just overtook me. With “Up,” well, so many have seen it and so many have cried along with me and I am unashamed to admit that seeing the brief, elegant, silent montage of a marriage at the beginning of that film and the parting words left behind late in the film were deeply moving.

I have just returned from a screening of Writer/Director Jason Reitman’s “Up In The Air,” a film of immense charm, intelligence and perceptiveness about human nature and life as we know it in our current economical and cultural history. It works as a critique of modern society as well as functioning as a romantic comedy. The characters and dialogue are sharply conceived and written. While it functions largely as a comedy, it never strikes a false note while also never descending into heavy handed preachings. And as much as I was entertained, wouldn’t you know it, something completely unexpected happened. “Up In The Air” made me cry and by the conclusion, I knew I had seen of 2009’s best achievements.

George Clooney stars in one of his finest performances as Ryan Bingham, a corporate assassin and sometimes motivational speaker of the empty “What Color Is Your Parachute?” variety. He endlessly travels across the country from one corporation to another, armed with the task of firing people as he offers empty platitudes of the “This is the first day of the rest of your life,” variety. He is a collection of corporate and club member credit cards, designed to provide him with optimum travel accommodations, from first class seating, accelerated boarding to even corporate programmed pleasant greetings from tickets agents in a sea of airports nationwide. His life is contained easily and securely into one travel bag with wheels. His one-room apartment in Omaha is barely lived in. He claims to be happily unmarried, has no desire to ever walk down the aisle and he is all but a ghost to his family. His one and only desire is to reach the milestone of attaining 10 million flier miles, a task reached by only six unnamed people before him. His life is one of constant motion and fabricated emotions, which undoubtedly makes for an empty existence, if only he could see it.

Then, as if from out of the blue, two women enter his life. In some unnamed bar, somewhere on his travels, he meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga in a career making performance), another corporate frequent flyer with a seemingly similar jaded life outlook. The two begin a cross-country affair, meeting in one Blackberry arranged designation after another and when apart, the two co join virtually.

The second woman is Natalie Keener (a terrific Anna Kendrick), a plucky 23-year-old, newly hired by Bingham’s unctuous supervisor (a pitch-perfect Jason Bateman) to provide an innovative (read: impersonal) tele-communicative technique to fire people across the country—a technique that would definitely upend Bingham’s entire life. Furious at the thought of being replaced by machinery, Bingham enlist the company of Natalie to join him on his cross-country treks to personally view and learn about the irreplaceable human flair, psychology and art of firing someone.

From here, the film takes some unusual detours and presents unusual imagery that along with the main plot line, add up to a sumptuous whole. A visit to Bingham’s younger sister’s wedding, a motif of an enlarged cut-out photo of the sister and fiancee poking through Bingham’s suitcase, and a beautifully written and lengthy airport conversation between the two women about the trajectories of their lives are among the film’s consistent delights that Reitman effortlessly puts on display. Each new development is a surprise and every revelation enriches his tapestry. As with his previous film “Juno,” I found myself a tad resistant initially, but as the film continued, it told a story that became better and better.

As I previously stated, Clooney gives one of his very best performances in this film. His unquestionable coolness, tailored suits, cynical edge and sardonic humor belies the hard truths he eventually discovers about himself and his place in the world. Perhaps, he has always known these hard truths about himself but as his life is frenetically on the move, he never allows himself the time to allow those thoughts to enter into his sights. In many ways, he reminded me of the kinds of characters William Hurt inhabited years ago. Clooney subtly breaths vibrant life into the almost nameless, faceless men who wear expensive suits. He finds the soul of this man at a point in his life when he just may be discovering that he indeed possesses a soul.

Vera Farmiga is a wonder in a performance I hope helps her graduate to larger, complex and more heavily seen films. Yes, she has done fine work in films ranging from brilliant (Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed”) to films that are…ahem…not brilliant (the brutal and distasteful “Orphan”), but now is her time to shine and she grabs the role with both hands. In an American cinematic world where there are few adult women on display, the character of Alex Gorna struck me as a refreshingly realistic, 21st century career woman. She exists as a striking counterpoint to the ridiculous and crudely sexist career women we usually see in mainstream films (Sandra Bullock and Katherine Heigl, my sights are set on you!). Alex has a clear, unapologetic and unrepentant worldview that seemingly works for her, making the character so fascinating that I would love to see a follow-up film on her and what her future may entail! Fermiga is supremely confident as she displays a maturity that extends fully through her humor, irritations, sexiness and even questionable humanity.

Anna Kendrick gives a performance of acute snappiness and increasing empathy. In many ways, she is much like Seth Rogen’s fledgling comedian in Judd Apatow’s excellent “Funny People.” The purity of her soul is in jeopardy while she journeys deeper into the cutthroat corporate world and Kendrick is equal to the hefty task. And her scenes with Clooney on the road as they verbally joust and parry provide many knowing laughs.

I said at the outset of this review that this film made me cry. Since many of those reasons are plot-driven, I will not provide any details to as not spoil the film and its many charms for you. I wish for you to see it as I did, without terribly much information. However, I think I can explain this much. As several portions of the film are devoted to the task of firing people and the variety of emotions contained, I could not help but to be affected by the material. I was unexpectedly laid off from my pre-school teaching job last year due to decreasing enrollment as a result of many parents being laid off themselves. While I blessedly found new employment relatively quickly, I will never forget that initial conversation with my Director, who bravely informed me of the news. I will never forget the all-encompassing feelings of failure, uncertainty and terror. I felt as if I was racing at light speed towards the edge of that proverbial cliff. I felt that I now had no purpose in life. I was drowning. It almost…almost felt like dying to a degree. While Jason Reitman handles his film with a light touch, those painful sentiments are given proper weight especially by having most of these roles performed by many people laid off in real life.

Beyond that, I thought that Reitman and his cast truly captured a moment in time. Film critic A.O. Scott recently explained in his review on “At The Movies,” that he feels that if someone 40-50 years from now wanted to watch a film and discover what life in America was like at this point in its history, “Up In the Air” would be the film to see. I am strongly inclined to agree with him, as it understands the tenuous ground we all stand upon right at this moment. In addition, the film asks of all of us, what are the ingredients, choices and consequences that make up a real life--especially when it comes to the topic of casual sex. "Up In The Air" contains feelings of trying, reaching, potentially failing and falling into a sea of frightening uncertainty and all of it burrowed under my skin and overtook me the longer the film unfolded.

On the basis of this film, I am convinced that Jason Reitman is the real deal and not someone coasting on the legacy of his famous Father who happens to be filmmaker Ivan Reitman, who produced “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and directed the comedy classics “Stripes,“ “Ghostbusters,” and “Kindergarten Cop.” With the savage but uneven “Thank You For Smoking,” the excellent and tender teen pregnancy comedy “Juno,” and now his third and best film to date, Jason Reitman is building a film resume to be reckoned with. It recalls the Capraesque films of the past while having its feet firmly placed in the present and what a gift it always is to see a film that succeeds so glowingly.

Even when it may occasionally bring me to tears.