Up In The Air

Though continuing the blog at this point may seem somewhat pointless (since Oscar night is long over), I've watched quite a few appraised films in the past few weeks. Even though awards season has come and passed, there's no reason to not still watch, and review, good films!

So, to start, I will review a film that seemed likely to sweep several Academy Awards just months before the ceremony, but was eventually ousted by The Hurt Locker: Up in the Air. Whereas The Hurt Locker deals with modern issues half a world away, Up in the Air confronts those problems that we deal with here in America on a daily basis.

The film centers around Ryan Bingham, portrayed by George Clooney, a man whose job it is to fire others. Though it may seem to be a dismal career, Bingham tends to enjoy the sense of detachment that both his job, and frequent-flying lifestyle, offer. Already, a number of modern domestic issues have arisen: the lay-off of workers due to a consistently downsizing economy, as well as an overall sense of detachment because of an incredibly fast-paced day-to-day schedule.

Following the film's exposition, Bingham is introduced to two new women: the young, uptight Natalie (Anna Kendrick) and the older, yet seductive Alex (Vera Farmiga). These characters send Bingham for a loop, as Natalie wishes to replace the face-to-face firing system with a system where employees are gotten rid of over a webcam conversation. Ryan is fearful of such a sudden, drastic change to his perfect career. Likewise, as he becomes increasingly involved with Alex, he becomes fearful of making a deeper, more meaningful connection, due to his detached way of life.

Though not necessarily the most eventful film, Up in the Air makes numerous powerful statements about modern American society. Clooney, Kendrick, and Farmiga all offer wonderful, if somewhat subdued, performances, while director Jason Reitman (who also helmed Juno) shows that he is still very much in-tune to what his audiences are interested in.

8/10