George Clooney will lift you up where you don't belong

Juno's Jason Reitman comes of age as a director

By Guruchathram Ledchumanan

Up In The Air Starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman Paramount 109 mins 14A

Up In The Air will be seen as the Jerry Maguire of the year and many more years from now, it will be seen as the It's A Wonderful Life of this era. George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a man who does not have an office but jet-sets from city to city firing people for corporations. His job title is termination facilitator. It might as well be Gordon Gecko. And just like Michael Douglas reptilian character in Oliver Stone's Wall Street, Clooney gives his own version of the “Greed is good” speech that Douglas earned an Oscar nomination with. I have no doubt that this film will be up for several Oscars including best picture. This film, just like Wall Street, Jerry Maguire and Glengarry Glen Ross, is a sign of the economic times.
At first, it seems as if Bingham has it all: he's good-looking, successful at his job as an axe-man, is nailing another equally ambitious career woman whom he initiates into the mile-high club in true Clooney fashion. He loves his career; he does not want a family; he even gives self-help seminars where he advises people to unpack their metaphorical backpack of life. Halfway through the film he comes to realize that by doing that, what is left behind is nothing but emptiness. I'm sure you've met people like this. They're easy to befriend but you never know who they are. The woman in his life is Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), his road warrior equal. They have dates at nice restaurants and pretend to be a couple when they are together but neither will commit to anything. Another unexpected star of the show is Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) who plays a bright-eyed and bushy tailed new executive who joins Bingham's company in order to be near her perfect boyfriend. You've met people like this too. They usually speak the most in class and have high ideals. There is a scene in this film that is close to beautiful. It's when Goran realizes that she is not going to have what she thought life was going to give her. You have probably been that person once and will recognize the moment when it happened to you. If you have not experienced it, let me just tell you that you are going to be alright. Our failures teach us things that our victories can not. Farmiga has a kind of happy Amy Adams-ish quality to her. It's amazing to see her enjoy her work of firing people so much. Director Jason Reitman used people that were actually recently fired to play people that have been fired in the film. Reitman and Clooney must be made of sterner stuff than I am because it would not be easy for me to listen to how their pain feels like. This film is not a tragedy, however. It has funny moments but isn't entirely a comedy either. I almost feel like this film is a documentary, an observer of a man at work. If you liked Juno, this is what might have happened if she grew up. After Thank You For Smoking, Juno and now this, I can't wait for his next movie. I think his best work is still ahead of him. One of the year's best films.

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