Up in the Air

The economic crisis has hit everyone pretty hard. But it seems like the worst is behind us. Still many Americans are left without jobs and without anyway to get by. Thousands of people are still being laid off while the people in charge of destroying their lives get hearty bonuses. The world is not just. Those people who suffer through hard times like these will find greater personal rewards than even money can buy, I’m sure. But that fact is of little comfort when you are losing your job and your house and your life. There is no film that captures this moment in history like a fly in the amber better than “Up in the Air.”

“Up in the Air,” has gotten a lot of buzz which is usually a sign to me anyway that a film is over hyped and that Oscar politics is more responsible for its success than the artistry of the cinema. Like “Juno,” coincidentally also directed by Jason Reitman, a film which I liked for the most part but quickly grew to detest as its brilliance was so very over stated. The difference with this film is it exceeds your expectations. It’s the story of a man who is in a business that’s booming; companies hire him to fire people. When he isn’t trying to usher people into the next phase of their lives he is very much at home on airplanes and in hotel suites. Reitman is an even more talented writer than he is a director, and he is a good director. I believe he is one of the unique voices of our time and by the grace of god he made it in a ruthless industry. This isn’t just a good movie but a great movie, things that are few and far between. Everything about it is spot on. The story is brilliantly structured with character arcs that lead you in unexpected directions. And it wraps itself up in a satisfying and slightly sad way. There is something profound the makers of this movie understand about contemporary American society and culture.

The acting in the film is great, particularly from the actresses supporting George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. Clooney is one of those actors who can be hit or miss, but when he is good he is just great. He loses himself in this film. I just can’t say enough about Reitman however. I anticipate great things from him, although he has already achieved many with this film and his satire “Thank You for Smoking.” And all the hype surrounding this film is justified. I wish I could offer a poetic way of expressing the same reactions that you’ve already heard, but I’m not that good a writer. Just see this movie.