Review of Up in the Air (2009) by Brett C — 13 Aug 2014

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Great Movies.

Strong Performances.

Things were rough for our family during the last two years, as there was a long stretch during that period where my father was out of the job and was struggling to find another. This placed my family in a difficult financial position, where our lifestyle took a hit and the very few luxuries we had started to fade. The thing that hit me the most during that stretch of my life was not that I couldn't get the materialistic objects that I want or that I don't get any extra money when attending university; it was seeing my dad, day in and day out applying for hundreds of positions, hoping that one of them would even give him any sort of consideration, and as time passes by him with interviews that seemed successful from a distance but ultimately became failed endeavours, I see how much this sense of loss have impacted his entire life, his attitudes and actions were different, losing that sense of confidence and ambition that I saw and admired every time I look at him. Thankfully, he was able to get back on his feet and is now working. I never realised the value of employment until I saw the hollowness of his face and the sadness in his sighs as he sits down in his chair, staring at his mobile phone and hoping someone would call for even the slightest of good news.

I apologise for the personal opening to this review, as I know many of you don't exactly care for the person behind these reviews, all the more his father, but reading it would help one understand my personal and deep attachment for this film.

The power of Up in the Air is its perfect timing. The film came out during a time when employment levels have taken a large dip and the audiences watching this could relate heavily to the pain and betrayal that is felt when being replaced or "let go". Normally stories or films like this would be released years after the peak of the event or crises as there is a risk for audience to feel distant and uninterested towards it, due to how close to the skin the film is. I first watched this film, around 3 years ago which was roughly around a year before the employment issue with my dad surfaced. I thought highly of it then, due to my connection with the character and its ability to avoid the cliché pitfalls that drama-comedies were being plagued with in the 21st century. It was when I watched it again a year later, around a month in after my dad was let go, when I put this on and gave it another watch. It was when I was done with it and walked into my dad sitting in bed while watching the television, with the same face that the employees had when they heard the awful news. This film then hit me in the deepest areas of my heart, and left me broken. Though the film's subject is highly depressing, it never reaches to a point where one can feel overwhelmed in melancholy as Jason Reitman, the film's director, handles the film with such balance in its drama and humour, that it doesn't come off forced in its social and economic commentary, instead what we see is a character driven story, that I realised after a couple of viewings later, is actually connected with the film's commentary.

The film's protagonist, Ryan Bingham, is a fascinating individual whose career in life is to fire or let people go with their ties to responsibility and commitment. He firmly believes inside him that he is doing these individuals a favour as he himself feels that he is at his happiest when he is constantly in the air, far from ground where people are with their families and are miserable. He is an individual who craves for the elite status, doing whatever he can to reach the intended target and place a large marker in his life and history. This sense of drive and simplistic lifestyle is the reason why he develops a sexual relationship with Alex Goran, who essentially is a mirror of himself.

The complication of the film involves a threat that arrives to destroy, not intentionally, the most important aspects of his life. This threat is a young woman, Natalie Keener, who has employed a new system for the company that Ryan works for, that prevents the traditional and personal style of their work, and take in a more economical and swift approach. This is a powerful and accurate example of the threat that is rising in contemporary society, where people lose their privilege to work due to their replacement by machines, and also the fact that the youth of today who are shaped by tertiary education as multi-skilled individuals and can perform tasks at a more efficient level. So, as Ryan is forced to partner up with her to give her exposure to the true nature of their profession, he feels this would be the perfect opportunity to break her spirit and shape her into becoming like him. Their relationship was handled beautifully as the contrast between the past and the future allowed the film to draw up a couple of entertaining dialogue exchanges and an accurate but hilarious glimpse of the two polarising sides of the age spectrum in our working environment.

The performances in this film were in a word, phenomenal, as each member of the cast were perfectly chosen and delivering the best of their abilities. The three primary actors in its cast were nominated at the Academy Awards for their performances, though the competition in those categories were stiff, they certainly deserved it; particularly Anna Kendrick, who proved to the general public that she is more than just that unmemorable role in the Twilight series and has a talent for delivering a blend of both the dramatic and comedic aspects of scripts. George Clooney has proven himself with multiple films that came before this film, but none I felt captured the truth that this role demanded from the actor's performance. Clooney, superficially, is playing a character that he has shown countless times in his younger performances, but none possess the internal sophistication that this role had to offer. Vera Farmiga, who is beautiful as always, plays a similar role to Clooney. She demonstrates a subtlety in the character's sense of power that doesn't actually come off as apparent until the final moments of the film.

I truly don't know how to wrap up everything I have just stated about the film. I will just sign off saying, Up in the Air is a masterpiece.