Up in the Air

George Clooney is, I believe, the "Cary Grant" of the 90's. He is suave, debonair, charismatic and in Up In the Air emotionally unavailable. I was prepared to see a romantic comedy but this flick, directed by Jason Reitman, is not an uplifting film. Ryan Bingham (Clooney) is an HR administrator who spends his life flying from one downsizing company to another doling out pink slips and platitudes across the country. Something we all fear in this economy. Bingham is rarely in the office or on the ground. His only goal is to reach the elusive 10-million-mile mark. His reward: his name on the side of a plane and a meeting with legendary pilot Maynard Finch (superbly played by Sam Eliot). Along the way he tries to relate to a young HR initiate, Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick). Bingham does make connections along his way with Alex Goran who tells Ryan to "think of me as you, with a vagina" (delightfully played by Vera Farmiga) and a feeble attempt to show interest in his siblings lives by showing up at his sister's wedding. He redeems himself somewhat by calming the groom's cold feet with an awkward pep talk. I really liked this well acted film. A grown-up comedy with realistic grown up problems.
Check it out... Jason Reitman also directed for The Office and Saturday Night Live TV series. Two of his films are available at the library: Juno and Thank You For Smoking.


Poster courtesy of MSN Movies