George Clooney stars in this satirical comedy drama based on the novel by Walter Kirn. Ryan Bingham (Clooney) is a corporate downsizing expert - in other words, his job is to fire people from theirs - and he takes his job very seriously. He travels the length and breadth of the country, racking up air miles and living out of a suitcase, and relishing every moment of it. When his job and way of life come under threat by new centralised procedures implemented by his hotshot colleague Natalie (Anna Kendrick), Ryan determines to show her just how valuable his role is - but instead ends up facing up to some of the pitfalls of his lifestyle. The film won the 2010 BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.
| Starring: |
George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Danny McBride, Melanie Lynskey, Chris Lowell, Adam Rose, Andrew Kruczynski, Tamala Jones, Steve Eastin, James Anthony |
| Director: |
Jason Reitman |
| Run time: |
109 minutes |
| Languages: |
English |
| Distributor: |
|
MyMovies
What's the point? It's a question that occasionally troubles even the most light-hearted of souls and it's something that begins ...
What's the point? It's a question that occasionally troubles even the most light-hearted of souls and it's something that begins to play on the mind of George Clooney's smooth operating, frequent flying Ryan Bingham in awards favourite "Up In The Air".Ryan is a corporate downsizing expert whose company is booming during the recession. He spends most of the year flying around the country firing people whose bosses are too cowardly to do it themselves - and he loves it. He loves the business class selfishness, the hotels, the rewards cards, and, most of all, he loves doing it alone. Yet, when perky young upstart Natalie (Anna Kendrick) proposes that the company sack people via webcam his entire way of life is threatened.To make matters worse, not only has he just met the woman of his dreams (Vera Farmiga), a fellow traveller who is happy to keep it 'casual', he is also on the cusp of collecting a landmark 10 million frequent flyer miles. In a desperate bid to extend his lifestyle, he agrees to take Natalie with him on his trips to teach her the ropes. Along the way, Ryan will need to come to terms with his resistance to commitment and re-evaluate his views on life.It's immediately clear why "Up In The Air" has been garnering more buzz than a hive of bees: this is an original, witty, intelligent film with a central character that is intriguing and magnetic. Clooney and Bingham clearly possess similarities - both are smooth, talented, childless men, who often come across as smug - but Clooney is also perfect for the role because he is a gifted actor who can display the contradictions and complexities of Ryan Bingham astutely.Although, for all of Clooney's ability, the film would not work without the outstanding supporting cast; Anna Kendrick is a revelation as the zealous Natalie, while Vera Farmiga's sexy, no-nonsense turn as Clooney's love interest is a joy to behold. It may be a tad too heavy for some (apparently, job losses and loneliness aren't themes that sell popcorn, even in a comedy), but with films like this, Hollywood is showing why it's still relevant.
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Press Association
Unemployment is no laughing matter... although Up In The Air begs to differ. Directed by Jason Reitman, whose last film ...
Unemployment is no laughing matter... although Up In The Air begs to differ. Directed by Jason Reitman, whose last film was the universally adored Juno, this portrait of a loveless man, who earns his living by flying around America and making total strangers redundant, hardly sounds like cause for merriment. In the current, harsh economic climate, any comedy that directly reminds us of the precariousness of our daily lives is challenging to say the least. However, Reitman's screenplay, co-written by Sheldon Turner and adapted from Walter Kirn's novel, elegantly navigates a path between the bleak and the wryly amusing, helped in no small part by a charming lead performance from George Clooney. Inevitably, there is some dramatic turbulence during this first class, 108-minute flight but thankfully, all of the main characters remain airborne. Just. Ryan Bingham (Clooney) spends more than 300 days a year firing employees he has never met before because their bosses are too chicken to do the dirty deed. He has to weather the tears and tantrums, the pleas for a second chance and the occasional threat to commit suicide. As a result of his demanding work, Ryan has no time for personal commitments. He doesn't have a girlfriend and has begrudgingly agreed to a request from sister Julie (Melanie Lynskey) and her fiance Jim (Danny McBride) to take photographs with a cardboard standee of the happy couple in various far-flung locations. Ironically, Ryan is threatened with redundancy when efficiency expert Natalie (Anna Kendrick) puts forward a plan to their boss Craig (Jason Bateman) that agents should conduct terminations via video conferencing. "Before you revolutionise my business, you had better know my business," growls Ryan, dragging Natalie along to real-life consultations, where she witnesses the emotional devastation firsthand. Meanwhile, the usually cool Mr Bingham falls under the spell of fellow jetsetter Alex (Vera Farmiga). Up In The Air should secure Clooney another Oscar nomination as Best Actor, if not the actual statuette, for his mesmerising portrayal of a corporate middleman, who loathes the prospect of standing still and is now almost numb to the anguish he wreaks. Kendrick is a delightful counterpoint as the Little Miss Goody Two Shoes, who tows the company line until Ryan and Alex ply her with drink at a corporate shindig and she finally lets loose, tactlessly telling the businesswoman, "You're so pretty. You're exactly what I want to look like in 15 years!" Her relationship with Clooney's debonair mentor is the film's heart and soul, like when Natalie faces a crisis of confidence over her boyfriend. "He broke up with you over text message? It's kind of like firing someone over the internet!" quips Ryan impishly. The final act at Julie and Jim's nuptials feels contrived but you can't begrudge the characters a little happiness before the end credits roll.
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