Review of Up in the Air (2009) by Diana W — 04 Apr 2013

This is a film that I benefited far more from the second viewing than I did the first. To start with, I was only 21 when "Up in the Air" was released in theatres, and as I was still in college, I didn't really identify with the tone of the film. Ok, I'll be honest. I really only saw it for George Clooney. On that note, it didn't disappoint.

Now, much more mature and aware of what's going on in the world (including the presence of Anna Kendrick), I decided to give "Up in the Air" another view.

The film tells the story of Ryan Bingham (Clooney), a man who makes a living firing people for those "who don't have the balls" to do it themselves. He spends over 300 days a year on the road, which he refers to as his home, racking up frequent flyer miles with American Airlines. He lives out of a suitcase, unattached to anyone, even family, which is how he likes it.

But Bingham's lifestyle is about to be turned on its head, and it is because of two women who enter his life.

The first is Alex (Vera Farmiga), a sultry, sexy businesswoman who is on the road as much as Ryan is. In a fabulous meet-cute where the two compare customer loyalty benefits, milage count (Ryan responds "Let's just say I have a number in mind and haven't hit it yet) and banter about rent-a-cars. After "getting to know each other" a little bit more physically, they compare flight schedules and plan to meet when they can.

But his plans are soon threatened by his boss (Jason Bateman) who is looking to ground the team of employees in the air thanks to a new program where employees can terminate people over the internet. This idea comes from Natalie Keener (a fabulous Anna Kendrick) a recent Cornell graduate who developed the efficient method of work and plans to save the company 80%. Infuriated that she will upset his life and milage numbers, Ryan takes Natalie on the road to show her the ropes, insisting that she get to know what his work is before she changes it.

The drama in the film is perfectly balanced with comedy, with Farmiga being the perfect opposite to Clooney's charm, and Kendrick's impeccable timing and comedic dead-panned deliveries. Because of the cast's strong performances and well-developed characters, the slower points of the film are manageable. Kendrick's Natalie (a part written for the actress) steals most of the scenes she is in, but it is the well-written banter between Ryan and Alex that takes the show.

Despite the ending that is rather true to the title of the film, I'm glad I gave "Up in the Air" another shot at watching, and I believe it will be just as good the third and fourth times too.