Up in the Air : A very grounded journey. Review on Up in the Air Movie

Anything George Clooney(and that dreamy smile), and I lower myrequirements from a movie immediately.I had been eagerly anticipatingit's release and made sure that I caught the movie the very first daythat it hit my Virginia multiplex. This is one of those movies that isso multi-faceted and multi-dimensioned, that it becomes verychallenging to write a review that will do it justice.

The director: Jason Rietman(who also directed the much applauded "Juno") buildsthe movie around Ryan Bingham. To the director's biggest credit, Clooney is Bingham, and not the other way around. Bingham works for anagency that helps employers fire their employees, and escape the messysituation of having to do it themselves. His job keeps him on theroad, rather "up in the air" for more than four-fifths of a year(Ithink). Bingham is a loyal American Airlines traveler who fliescross-country to help corporations "terminate" their employees. Hisdexterity as a seasoned traveler and the quest to covet a million flyermiles sets the tone of the movie.

Bingham's agency hires a recentCornell grad, Natalie Keener(played by Anna Kendrick). Ms Keenerproposes the money saving, highly efficient, zero travel requiring ideaof firing people over the internet. Bingham pooh-poohs this idea, citing how inhuman and mechanized this process would be and iscompelled to take Keener along for his last firing spree. Some of themost satirical moments of the movie occur here. Bingham's efficienttraveler self is comically juxtaposed with Keener's over-packed andinexperienced ways. One of the most brilliant scenes is where Binghamshows Keener the stereotypical ways of other air travelers:"Neverget behind old people. Their bodies are littered with hidden metal andthey never seem to appreciate how little time they have left. Bingo, Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently, and they have a thing forslip on shoes. Gotta love'em".

Kendrickdoes tremendous justice to Keener's role. She brings out thehardheadedness, confident and yet highly vulnerable characteristics ofKeener's role to a T. Bingham's casual, and initially endearingrelationship with another frequent traveler- Alex(Vera Farmiga)provides some sweet romantic relief to the movie. Keener's well plannedtimeline for her life is wonderfully contrasted with the older duosnonchalant and non-committal ways.

Bingham is also a motivationalpublic speaker. His episodes ask the participants "How much does youlife weigh?". The scenes involve him contrasting materialisticpossessions to the people-value in human lives, and are extremely wellconstructed and poignant. These episodes also play a pivotal role inpropelling the story forward.

I will not write too much aboutthe plot, as I want you to get your bang for the buck when you watchthis movie. Every single character in the plot: Bingham's boss(playedby Jason Bateman of the Arrested Developement fame), his sisters andhis cold feet-ed on the wedding day brother-in-law does beyond amplejustice to his/her role. Every employee that Bingham and Keener arebrought in to fire is amazingly directed and brings out the hurt, scare, numbness and confusion of a just-fired employee to realisticperfection. Stereotypically, the Indian nerd firing scene is mypersonal favorite!

Don't confuse this for a feel good movie oran easy breezy air- travel satire. The emotional landscape of eachcharacter is wonderfully layered. The story flows with ease, slides andglides with an array of complex feelings, it provides some easy laughs, some subtle smiles and ends the way that most life stories do. No candyfloss romance, no everything fixed hunky dory life. The movie doessend across a message. Life is not worth living as a cynic. When onedoor shuts.a floodgate of new possibilities can open, as long asyou don't close your mind to it.

I can not praise thiswonderfully directed, brilliantly acted movie enough. I lovedthe aerial views of different US cities, the well selected soundtrack.I can also easily see this gem of a movie win Academy nominations forthe best actor, direction, cinematography and soundtrack(if only myopinion counted.)

Watch it, you will not be disappointed. Come back and tell me what you thought of it.