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Biggest_Loser 2012-05-22 06:56:51

It represents the director's most mature film yet, one that is not only funny but also sad and ironic too

As a director Jason Reitman escaped his father's shadow with two veryimpressive films, Juno and Thank You for Smoking. Both were maturecomedies that dealt with dark and politically sensitive issues; teenagepregnancy and spin-doctors respectively. Up in the Air, which was namedBest Film by the National Board of Review, is based on the novel byWalter Kirn, with a screenplay by Reitman and Sherldon Turner. Itrepresents the director's most mature film yet, one that is not onlyfunny but also sad and ironic too. Although the novel was written in2001, the film takes place after the US recession and it is within thiscontext that Reitman can express the increasing difficulties of Ryan'sjob and enhance the emotional core of the film too. The verisimilitudeapplied to the minor characters in the film is particularly impressive.Those that are fired by Ryan look and sound ordinary and real. Theirresponses, as they are dismissed and stripped of their dignity, are aspainful for the audience as they are for Natalie. Ryan's family too,when he meets them at the wedding, are not particularly attractivepeople, just ordinary folks who have their own pleasures in life, evenif they struggle to make ends meet. Reitman's fine direction is notjust limited to the excellent casting, as the aesthetics excel as well.The film is briskly paced in representing Ryan's globetrotting, withoutsacrificing the depth of its narrative. While the art design, from themeticulous selection of suits for the actors, to the cold andstructured framing of the airports, is also strong reflection of theuniformity and controlling nature of Ryan's life.Natalie's gradual understanding of the responsibility of the job formthe basis of much of the film's narrative. As with Juno this is alsoabout a relatively young woman who is in a situation that is completelyout of her depth. Natalie attempts to use the same catchphrase as Ryanfor firing people and also tries to map out different strategies on herlaptop. Yet in one of the film's most heartfelt scenes, she is giventhe task of firing a list of people from a company and she can barelymake it through the first interview. The emotion that is shown by theemployee is the reality that no degree in psychology can prepareNatalie for and she is affected accordingly. The change that Ryanundergoes is equally as believable. At the beginning of the film he issomeone who is completely confident in every aspect of his life. Heseems almost proud of his disconnection to the world. However, onesuspects that beneath his well-tailored shell he is longing for a lotmore, even if it is slightly subconscious. When he is told that heisolated he responds arrogantly and naively by saying: "isolated? I'msurrounded". Yet the hurt is visible on his face whenever his attemptsto connect with people fail. When he tries to invite his neighbour overshe brushes him off stating: "I'm seeing someone now". Similarly, atthe wedding rehearsal dinner Ryan is shown the ring on his sister'sfinger. It's a funny but ironic moment as it is tiny and probably cheapbut at the same time it represents the bond between two people thatRyan may never experience. The family he barely knows resonate with theaudience as the same ordinary-looking people that Ryan has had todismiss, but as with those he fired, his empathy for their struggleshas been contained because of his lifestyle choices and his ownisolation. Thus the heart of the film is its screenplay, which issmartly written and layered with both humour and emotional depth. Thechanges in the characters are not only credible but they also do notmistake true emotion for sentimentality either. It is through thesetransitions that the film becomes richly compelling viewing.The performances from the cast are collectively superb. Clooney's suavepersonality is still present as he knows how to be charming; with theability to seduce a woman at a bar or to persuade a redundant workerthat they still have options. Yet he is also colder, more clinical anddetermined in this film than he has ever been. The scene where hefights for his living epitomises this. As Natalie tries to fire him ina hypothetical situation, he acts out the various responses of peoplebeing dismissed and in demonstrating his thorough experience andknowledge of the job he is able to crush her optimism for the newsystem. Most significantly, Clooney expresses the changes he undergoesboth internally and externally. As with the aforementioned scene, onecan see him at the peak of his powers, in the comfort zone of theexperience of his job. By the end though we also see him at his weakestwhen he realises he is like one of the released, only in a moreemotional sense. It remains a very convincing and layered performanceby Clooney, justifying much of the Oscar buzz surrounding him. Kendricktoo has a challenging role of playing an inexperienced woman who isacting like she knows what she is doing. It is a performance within aperformance. With her hair tied back in a pony tail, her suit andsophisticated vocabulary, her character looks and sounds the part, butshe is of course hollow in regards to her knowledge of real humansuffering and crumbles in the most convincing manner. Vera Farmiga ispivotal as Alex, offering subtle support too.

Kevin Carr 2012-05-21 18:42:44

quite possibly the sweetest movie you're going to see about corporate layoffs

Rachel 2012-05-20 19:25:43

Really Terrible - How did this get nominated

This is a prime example of the downfall of movies and why I don't go. The story was sooooo slow and completely insensitive given today's economy. Anna Kendrick's acting was ridiculous - it's clear she's NEVER worked in corp america. She should try shadowing someone for your next role before mimicking an emotional meltdown over a breakup in front of a colleague ridiculous and completely over acted. I really hated this film all around. It was such a downer and left you feeling flat.

Willie-12 2012-05-20 14:15:09

Good Movie...But Not Without Flaws

**Major Spoilers** For about two thirds of Up In The Air, I wasthinking to myself, "this is definitely going to be on my top five listfor the year." The acting is very good. The characters were strong andlikable. The dialogue was sharp and witty. There seemed to be the rightmixture of both comedy and drama. It felt like a movie that was goingsomewhere great. Then came the rest of the story. Don't get me wrong.I've seen some films before that were ruined by bad endings. Up In TheAir does not fall into that category. In fact, I wouldn't even call theending bad. It was just not as well done as the rest of the movie. Itfelt hurried and predictable. I honestly don't think any of the eventsthat occurred at the end of the film were a surprise to anyone watching(including the "major" revelation about Vera Farmiga's character). Anda few of the scenes felt like they were slipped in out of obligation(i.e. the scene where Clooney's character calls the airline to set up atrip for his sister and her husband, or when we find out that AnnaKendrick's character quit because of the suicide). However, even withall of that, I still liked it. There was still so much that was goodabout this movie, that it might not be on my top five list for theyear, but it is definitely on my top ten.

Lawson 2012-05-18 23:13:08

A rather genteel movie

I definitely enjoy the Jason Reitman touch, though I have to say of thethree movies that he's directed and I've seen, I prefer Thank You forSmoking, which was a dark comedy. Juno was comparatively too... light.This movie is kinda fluffy too, and I think that I'm disappointed thatit's not more subversive.At the onset, I thought I would love it, since it began with wittybanter between two people who are essentially homeless because they aretravelling constantly for work. Their flirtation composes of comparingfrequent flyer and car rental clubs elite statuses. Hot. But I soonrealized that the focus was on George Clooney's character soon beinggrounded and his life being ironically up in the air while he has toadjust to redeveloping social and familial relationships. There's also social commentary to be found as Clooney works as aprofessional firer, so to speak. Big companies hire him to retrenchtheir staff when they don't want to do their own dirty work. Hence,it's pretty relevant in the current economic climate. It also adds somespice to an otherwise genteel movie.George Clooney and Vera Farmiga, as the two frequent flyers, giveradiant yet understated performances. Anna Kendrick, the uptight youngupstart, is fun to watch, especially when she has her little breakdown. I don't know; I liked this movie well enough but it doesn't feel like aBest Picture to me. I think it's more likely to just net Reitman ascreenplay win, as with Sofia Coppola and Lost in Translation.

2012-05-18 08:56:30

Entertaining, but hardly great

Is it amusing? Yes. Is it entertaining? Yes. Is there a message at the end? Yes. But is it this amazing, fantastic, best movie of the year that everyone is saying it is? Not really.Is it the "feel-good" movie it claims to be on its packaging? No. See all those people smiling in the photos for this product page? Misleading. A big, fat lie. And that's a big clue as to what it knows about itself. It will not appeal to people who are looking for a feel-good comedy. You have to be prepared for "depressing". Nothing wrong with that, but I hate misleading packaging. At least it's nowhere near as dishonest as the packaging for "World's Greatest Dad."Sorry to rain on parades, but I thought fair warning is needed, after seeing all those glowing reviews. It's an OK movie, and you'll probably enjoy it (as much as such things can be enjoyed).

2012-05-15 21:58:08

Unnecessarily Sad

This movie broke my heart - between the unexpecting employees being fired to the major disappointment with the main character and his love interest -- really a very sad film.However, with the economy continuing to collapse and the unemployment rate going up, this is a movie for its times. Great acting and a good story make this a must see film.

2012-05-15 06:24:37

Up In The Air is Down To Earth.

In a time when our world changing far too quickly, there is always a film that comes along to define the sign of the times. This time George Clooney takes us into the mind of a man who just flat out hates being around people and involved with their lives. Guess what he does for a living? He has to fire people from their jobs and connect with them in order to motivate them to find a new opportunity. So now what do you do when your line of work is telling you have to stop avoiding all connections and stay grounded? That is what the film `Up In The Air' is all about. I knew that there was a huge buzz about this movie and I have to say I got a lot more than I expected out of this movie. First of all the cast is crazy amazing. Everyone from Clooney to Kendrick plays their roles unbelievably well. Anna Kendrick was of course my favorite, just because I was in her exact position not too long ago. I remember learning the tricks of the trade in my line of work and traveling to sit down with prospects. I remember sitting in a car almost crying because I found the job to be too much or just wondering if I was going to able to do this on my own for a living. What I loved about the film the most was how it depicted how distant we are becoming as a creature. How we break up with our significant others over a text message or that we can't sit face to face in the room with someone when we have to give them negative news. It shows that it turns us into soulless and spineless people. Whether you would agree with my views or not...that was what I got out of this film. Understand that this film can depress you at points, but it is a comedy and it has some great laughable moments and yes you do get a nice ending. This is a movie that I recommend you see at least once, because it just a story about ordinary people trying to live the lives they want to live. That is something we as individuals do every day. The question is what makes you stand out amongst the others.

snncy2000 2012-05-12 10:46:52

Very American but still good for everybody

I had chance to see this after a while it's release. But I put stay onthe couch amazed with movies' calm and hitting story. Firing people,getting fired? Look on the faces of the people that got fired and theirdisappointment? Who's gonna pay the bills? I'm a useless? What happenedto all my dedication? Questions and questions popping into my mindwhile watching..Bingham (played by Coolney) is sure an a..hole. Sorry but he is. But heis also cursed to be lonely. He believes that is his own choice but Ithink it's just a curse. He got shocked when newbie Natalie (AnnaKendrick) comes with the idea to use the Internet to fire peopleinstead of traveling across the country. I actually expected Bingham togot fired after this Internet thing, but it didn't happen.But about Alex (Vera Farmiga)? She is a real jack? Having a family withkids but getting layed by man whom she met in the bar or even atairports? She somehow lets the curse carry on him by disappointing himabout marriage and attaching with people.Anyways, whatever side you look at it, Up In the Air makes you thinkcarefully about many things for sure. Superb acting, nice and not pushydirection and a very nice movie about life and choices we make..

2012-05-12 04:35:47

Smug.

"Up In The Air" is a smug film. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad film but, considering it'd like to woo audiences into a kind of back-patting "smart" sentimentality, it certainly can't qualify as a great one. At virtually every key moment when he could draw the audience closer, director Jason Reitman pulls away for a zing, or to regard his actors, particularly George Clooney, from a pitying, judgmental distance. Exceedingly well-paced for most of its running time - and deft for all its moving parts - its flaws are exposed in the last 15 minutes, which drenches Clooney with one bucket of cold water after another as if to say "You see? Feel it!" There's something indecent about a comedy doing that, self-defeating. "Up In the Air" appears to resent its smile, which is to say it doesn't really have one. The premise veers toward satire without telegraphing its trajectory: Clooney is Ryan Bingham, a corporate samurai who fires people when companies don't feel like it. In the role, Ryan's a method actor, capably (and somewhat inexplicably) adjusting his persona to the newly axed sitting across the desk from him. Clooney is smooth in those scenes, canny and clever. We smile in the midst of misery; it's secretly fun to watch someone good at what they do. A murderer. A thief. A hatchet man. Believable? Borderline. But Ryan's "personal touch" is juxtaposed with new sidekick Natalie (Anna Kendrick), fresh out of college with the notion of firing people over the Internet - which means Ryan will be grounded, strapped to a headset, and stuck in a cubicle. Given the timing of "Up In The Air," and the economic meltdown that transpired in 2008, Natalie's "corporate concept," predictably debunked in the field, is ludicrous, for one. A "postal" invitation, for two. Ryan likes his life. He spends 320 days a year on the road. He enjoys an elite level of service in every airport, hotel and Hertz he enters. He's cultivated side career as motivational speaker, where he appeals to rooms of "warriors" like him to limit their lives to a backpack. No family. No entanglements. His parents are dead. His sisters are out of sight and mind in Wisconsin. But female fellow-warrior Alex (Vera Farmiga) provides a complication: Seemingly unburdened like Ryan, she purrs his way into his bed with the right mix of seduction and sass; Natalie pushes Ryan further toward love by projecting her own wishes for a relationship onto Alex. Ostensibly a film about a new, cold-hearted American economy - and, by extension, the world - the movie is actually an excoriation of the admittedly lemon-headed values of the Eighties and its offspring, the late Aughties, as children of the Reagan-era yuppie couples stride boldly - and somewhat foolishly - into the world, expecting it to shrink down to oyster size upon command, or, at the very least, the purchase of the appropriate technology and furniture. Natalie, played as a insufferable prig by Kendrick, quickly gets her wake-up call. Ryan's comeuppance marinates for the movie's running time and serves as a stunning detour to the predicted story arc. These penalties are fine, I suppose, but what's the moral here? Work shouldn't be important? If so, why the proverbial violin scenes where Ryan and Natalie 86 blubbering, pleading employees? Is sobriety the aim? Sadness? Pointed resignation to the world at hand? I don't think "Up In the Air" ever tries to figure itself out. Like Ryan, it lives in the moment, enjoying its overhead shots of various cities without minding the meaning. Consider that, in a key moment, we're meant to laugh at a lame engagement ring designed by the fiancee (Danny McBride) of Ryan's younger sister (Melanie Lynsky). The McBride character is a retread of Dermot Mulroney's idiot in "About Schmidt." Why is he a dope? Why is it funny that he's a dope, in a movie that makes pains to connect with "regular folks?" Why are small engagement rings funny? People lose their jobs - but the size of diamond remains sacrosanct? Why are we shown scenes of Ryan lecturing sizable groups of "backpack warriors," and none of him actually mingling with them? Because it's a construct. Why are they there? Who would choose to attend such a seminar? Samurai warriors? The crudest scene involves a suicide that mostly serves as a double-downer to Ryan's personal journey. Reitman wants to score cheap emotional points late in the game to catch up with the gloss that precedes it. And the movie has gloss. It's terrifically made, its screenplay light and clever, juggling several plotlines - the road trip, the prodigal son, the caustic corporate rant, the bizarre quest of Ryan's to reach a certain number of airline miles - with speed and ease. The skill in "Up In the Air" trumps its emptiness in many ways; only in the movie's final act do you see the hustle begin to emerge, the sweet con of overturned, folded cards. Farmiga is excellent as the sharp, non-committal Alex. Farmiga is comfortable being inside cold, rough characters, and she nails most of the notes she's forced to play. But she also gets off easy, and once the plot turns, you'll know why a short phone call that ends with the line "I'm an adult" doesn't even begin to explain the decisions Alex makes. Clooney looks thin, old. He's still a nice guy as an actor, self-aware of his charm - and how it wears off, after a moment. Some critics don't care for his sheepish notes, but I like them. But Reitman doesn't make either Clooney or Farmiga - or Kendrick, who's awful on purpose - get messy with their emotions. The great directors know how to take a scene up to the beat, and then just past it, into a raw, furious scream of drama, delivered in caustic, brittle lines. Wilder knew how. Lumet still does. Woody Allen once did. The best Europeans have that talent. There is a moment in "Up In the Air" that begs for a showdown. Reitman misses it. A shame. It's a keystone to the film's flaw - that it's trapped in Movieland, without the sense to get out.

Anh Vo 2012-05-11 14:55:13

Great movie with George Clooney being perfect for the role

I didn't expect much from Up In The Air. I hated George Clooney and theposter didn't look so promising to me. In the end, the movie turns outmuch greater than I had thought. I don't like George still but themovie itself is great! George was perfect in this role: a smarthandsome middle-aged man who has a mouth that works, who has nothingand lets nothing to tie him down. A perfect salesman who is a totalass-hole. That is, until he meets two women that change him somewhat.The first 30 minutes or so are annoying to me, mainly because we onlyget to see the annoying aspect of the characters. After that the moviepicks up nicely. The movie tells a part of Ryan's life with people hemeets. Nothing more, nothing less. It poses some issues about whatyoung people wants and what older people wants, how people feel whenthey get fired, what are the attitudes of people about a freelifestyle's like Ryan. But that's it. Nothing really gets solved andanswered, as life goes on.There are great camera works and editing, as well as some smart linesalong the, although some parts (Keener's enthusiasm about the work)feel a bit too forced or straight forward. Love Vera Farmiga fromSource Code and love her still. Anna Kendrick does well as the youngambitious and naive girl who just enters life. Overall, a great moviethat you should watch. Try getting past the first 30 minutes and GeorgeClooney's flat face.For more reviews, please visit: http://voicemotion.wordpress.com/

Martin Bradley 2012-05-10 18:44:53

The year's smartest, most intelligent American comedy

Before "Up in the Air" Jason Reitman was the smart new kid on the blockwho made a smart comedy about corporate greed, ("Thank you forSmoking"), and a better one, ("Juno"), about real people with realfeelings coping, quite magnificently, with the slings and arrows ofoutrageous fortune that life throws at us. Now he has combined the twodisparate themes; "Up in the |Air" is the year's smartest, mostintelligent comedy. It's let down, ever so slightly, by a smidgen ofsentimentality but picks itself up again to be at least realisticallydour in its resolution. (The film's 'happy ending' isn't the unlikelyone we might have predicted).It's about the ultimate corporate man, Ryan Bingham, (a never betterGeorge Clooney), whose job it is to tell others they no longer haveone. It's a dirty business but Ryan is basically a nice guy whose charmgoes some way to softening the blow. What he tells the poor suckersgetting the chop may be a load of bull but he has the knack, most ofthe time anyway, of making it sound like a life opportunity. He doesthis by flying all over America, spending over 200 days a year awayfrom his drab apartment, living in plush hotel rooms with all theirperks. He's happier in an airport lounge than most people would be in apalace. One of the perks is Alex, (an equally superb Vera Farmiga),another frequent flyer he meets in an hotel bar and with whom he startsa no-strings relationship. (They are turned on by each others plastic).And then one day it all threatens to come crashing down when thecompany hires Natalie, a young whippersnapper, who has designed aprogramme that allows people to get fired on-line thus eliminating 'thepersonal touch' and the very expensive travel costs. Ryan's lifethreatens to implode and he's given the task of taking Natalie on theroad with him and showing her the ropes. What happens, of course, isthat in the process these two corporate killers manage to humanize eachother, or rather find within themselves the humanity that was alwaysthere.This mature, grown-up comedy is easily Reitman's best film to date. Ifthe analogies with Capra, Hawks and Billy Wilder seem a triflepremature there is no doubt that Reitman is someone to watch. There isnothing fancy about his style of direction; he relies on the quality ofhis script, (in this case co-written with Sheldon Turner from a novelby Walter Kim), and the ability of his actors to deliver. As Ryancriss-crosses the country his journey, from one city to the next, orrather from airport to airport or hotel to hotel, is introduced byaerial shots of the landscape. This is about as show-offy as it gets."Up in the Air" may be the title but this movie has its feet firmlyplanted on terra-firma and is all the better for it. The three leads,(newcomer Anna Kendrick as Natalie is another name to watch; think AmyAdams without the cute factor), are all superb and there is a lot oftalk, all of it good. Here, at last, is a mainstream film aimed at anintelligent, adult audience, funny and sad in about equal measure andvery much like the way we live today.

carol-cherman 2012-05-09 03:59:02

Life's about-face moments

"Up in the Air" gives us a look at the switchtracks of our lives: thosesmall occurrences that can get us thinking and cause us to alter ourdirection. They simply add up over time and one day it all comestogether. We watch Ryan Bingham go through this process. And evenbefore the change, when he's still a man who seems cold and heartlessin his job, he somehow manages to do the impossible of actually leavingsome of the people he fires feeling hopeful and encouraged about theirfuture. (It reminds me of Stacy Keach's character in "The TravelingExecutioner," (1970) a fascinating movie to watch, if you can find itanywhere.) In the end, you want him to have that too.

druid333-2 2012-05-08 10:21:49

Ice Water For Blood

Ryan Bingham is a corporate ax man (that is to say,he has the thanklessjob of firing people for various bosses that lack the nerve to do itthemselves). Ryan really enjoys his job, all because he is a heartlessbastard with ice water for blood (as the above mentioned),as well asthe high class perks that his job supplies him with (he spends most ofhis time in planes,flying from job to job--hence,the title). Ryan isalso something of a "user" of women,with no regard for settling downfor a lifetime (he also has little use for his own family). Ryan seemsto have it all down,pat. He is having a fling with a woman met on aconnecting flight. He is also training a young novice in the wily waysof firing people,cold ("how do you sleep at night?",asks one of hisvictims). Does a humbling experience,involving family members cause a(paradigm)shift in his realm of thinking? George Clooney takes the parthe was obviously born to play,in this smart & well written drama, withsome nice touches of comedy to lighten things up. Vera Farmiga is AlexGoran,the woman he is carrying on with. Anna Kendrick is NatalieKeener,a young,up & coming ax person,who is learning the ropes fromRyan (but obviously doesn't like Ryan much as a person,'tho doesrespect his position on firing some genuinely hard working people).Jason Reitman (director of such toothsome film fare such as 'Thank YouFor Smoking' & Juno',and son of director,Ivan Reitman,who also acts asone of the executive producers of this film)directs & co-writes thescreenplay with Sheldon Turner,in a film with a touch of savvy. Othercast members include Jason Bateman (who's obviously redeemed himselffrom appearing in such fare as 'Teen Wolf 2')plays Ryan's boss,CraigGregory,and if you don't blink,you'll spot Sam Elliot (several notchesup from the sorry mess he last appeared in ['Did You Hear About TheMorgans?]),as an airline pilot,patterned after Capt."Sully"Sullenberger,who saved the passengers & crew by crash landing thatflight in the Hudson River last year. This is smart,savvy film makingthat makes for a well spent Saturday night at the movies. Rated 'R' bythe MPAA for some outbursts of strong language,brief nudity & adultcontent

Girish Winchester 2012-05-04 21:27:45

Excellent!!

*****Only minor spoilers***** Ryan Bingham has a job that has himtravelling around the country firing people. He lives out of a suitcaseas he travels around most of the year & he seems to love it in the air.But, when his company plans to ground him, Ryan isn't happy. He takesNatalie Keener, an extremely vibrant, young woman under his wing toprovide her some insights to his work before they can ground himpermanently.It deals with the sorry state of the economy last year. How it affectedso many people & their families. This film works well on so many levels& the Oscar nominations for George Clooney & Vera Farmiga were welldeserved. Even though Anna Kendrick did a very good job in playingNatalie, I didn't think that she deserved a nomination. Don't hate mefor that. I love the Twilight films, this has nothing to do with her inthose films. The background score really fits the movie well.I loved Ryan's character. Who wouldn't want to be like him (but justfor a while though, you do want that someone special with you as yougrow up). Jason Bateman also does a good job as the boss of Ryan. JasonReitman has written & directed a wonderful story about a man whodoesn't want commitments in life, who doesn't want to grow up, whothinks of himself as being a free bird. This is one of Clooney's betterperformances. The film can be watched again & again. I'm glad I watched"Up In The Air". This is about family values, how one shouldn't getafraid of commitments & one must be ready to have their hearts brokenat some point in life. Vera Farmiga plays Alex, the woman who wants acasual thing with Ryan Bingham. Ryan & Alex are both funny, smart,don't want to be in a serious relationship & just seem to us, as anaudience, the perfect people for each other.The one scene I really loved was when Natalie breaks down at theairport & starts crying & Ryan was just so unsure of what to do. Ididn't think Anna Kendrick was a good actress before this, but she'sabsolutely an amazing talented actress. Each scene stays with you, longafter the film has ended. The whole thing is good. This is one of thosefilms which has to be in your collection.9/10 -Girish, 20

Alex Wherritt 2012-05-04 08:04:50

A little heavy for some, but great

This film tackles a big problem that is happening today, but finds the humor in it, but also the seriousness. The beginning was promising, but then dragged on, but when the character of Natalie Keener came, the film never seized to amaze me from there on. The ending was a bit depressing, but at least it wasn't cliche like most remakes, sequels, and adaptations this year (although I did love a lot of the adaptations). I think that watching this movie will open your eyes, make you cry, and make you laugh and a lot of you will love it.

Richard Corliss 2012-05-02 17:28:03

A movie about a guy who fires people, released at a time when at least a tenth of the work force is out of work, is utterly nervy. And wonderful.

Roger Moore 2012-05-02 06:34:46

Jason Reitman's dry, moving "comedy," based on the Walter Kirn novel, is a sly indictment of Corporate America, Marketing America and Frequent Flying America.

2012-04-30 09:19:48

Funny yet sad, thought provoking

This review is from: Up in the Air (Amazon Instant Video) There is one surprise after another in the movie. There are so many contemporary issues addressed here with no clear cut answers to the problems raised but plenty of food for thought. This movie will stay with you. You will want to take George Clooney home with you!

2012-04-29 18:26:44

Expected more from an Oscar-nominated, much-hyped film

This review is from: Up in the Air (DVD) I had really high expectations of this film after all the hype, critical acclaim, and award nods - but the reality for me was that this is just an average film. Clooney is just Clooney (read Danny Ocean) and, although the idea had legs, I don't think the writing was all that clever, provocative, or funny. Anna Kendrick is the only bright spot in an otherwise somewhat blah picture and the only element of the movie that deserved any nominations this award season.