Official Movie Website Theatrical Release 12/11/09 (Limited) Home Video Not Available MPAA Rating Rated R for language and some sexual content Running Time 1 hour 44 minutes Genre Drama Director Jason Reitman Writer Jason Reitman Cast George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Tamala Jones, Chris Lowell Studio Paramount Pictures |
UP IN THE AIR (2009)
SYNOPSIS
From Jason Reitman, the Oscar®-nominated director
of Juno, comes Up in the Air, the timely odyssey of
Ryan Bingham (Oscar® winner GEORGE CLOONEY), a
corporate downsizer and consummate modern
business traveler who, after years of staying happily
airborne, suddenly finds himself ready to make a real
connection. Ryan has long been contented with his
unencumbered lifestyle lived out across America in
airports, hotels and rental cars. He can carry all he
needs in one wheel-away case; he’s a pampered, elite
member of every travel loyalty program in existence;
and he’s close to attaining his lifetime goal of 10 million
frequent flier miles – and yet . . . Ryan has nothing real
to hold onto. When he falls for a simpatico fellow
traveler (VERA FARMIGA), Ryan’s boss (JASON
BATEMAN), inspired by a young, upstart efficiency
expert (ANNA KENDRICK), threatens to permanently
call him in from the road. Faced with the prospect, at
once terrifying and exhilarating, of being grounded,
Ryan begins to contemplate what it might actually
mean to have a home. --© Paramount
From Jason Reitman, the Oscar®-nominated director
of Juno, comes Up in the Air, the timely odyssey of
Ryan Bingham (Oscar® winner GEORGE CLOONEY), a
corporate downsizer and consummate modern
business traveler who, after years of staying happily
airborne, suddenly finds himself ready to make a real
connection. Ryan has long been contented with his
unencumbered lifestyle lived out across America in
airports, hotels and rental cars. He can carry all he
needs in one wheel-away case; he’s a pampered, elite
member of every travel loyalty program in existence;
and he’s close to attaining his lifetime goal of 10 million
frequent flier miles – and yet . . . Ryan has nothing real
to hold onto. When he falls for a simpatico fellow
traveler (VERA FARMIGA), Ryan’s boss (JASON
BATEMAN), inspired by a young, upstart efficiency
expert (ANNA KENDRICK), threatens to permanently
call him in from the road. Faced with the prospect, at
once terrifying and exhilarating, of being grounded,
Ryan begins to contemplate what it might actually
mean to have a home. --© Paramount
© 2003 St. Louis Movie Review Weekly. All rights reserved, except where indicated.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
| ST. LOUIS MOVIE REVIEW WEEKLY |
Writer/Director Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You for Smoking) is able to once again dazzle audiences with
his new satire, Up in the Air. George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) plays Ryan
Bingham a corporate hitman, otherwise known as a Career Transition Counselor, that flies around the
States firing people for corporations that don’t have the guts to fire. He is completely satisfied with his
ambiguous bachelor lifestyle and the perks that come along with traveling; such as, frequent flyer miles,
hotel upgrades and car rentals. Ryan, to his surprise, runs into a female version of himself at a hotel bar.
Alex Goran, played by Vera Farmiga (The Departed, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), also tracks success
by frequent flyer miles, credit cards, hotel and car upgrades and, luckily for Ryan, she too enjoys the
occasional sexual fling. They begin to have a non-committal, no strings attached fling whenever their
paths, or shall I say flights, cross. Shortly after meeting Alex, Ryan learns that he is about to be
“grounded” to his home city of Omaha. His boss, Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman; Juno, Hancock) is
impressed by his new employee, efficiency expert, Natalie Keener’s (newcomer Anna Kendrick; Twilight,
New Moon) big idea of how to cut back expenses: firing people by video conference. Ryan, who prides
himself in his smooth firing techniques, is not keen on the idea of firing people over the computer and
compares it to “breaking up with someone in a text message”. He believes the face to face connection
and straight-faced logic he brings to the table brings a certain human touch that makes it easier for the
people to handle “one of the worst days of their lives.” After convincing Craig that it is important Natalie
learns what his job actually entails, he is assigned to take her cross country and train her on his
techniques. While Up in the Air may not contain as much humor as Reitman’s past masterpieces, his
signature pithy dialogue paired with remarkable performances by Clooney, Farmiga, and Keener make
this movie a must see.
his new satire, Up in the Air. George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) plays Ryan
Bingham a corporate hitman, otherwise known as a Career Transition Counselor, that flies around the
States firing people for corporations that don’t have the guts to fire. He is completely satisfied with his
ambiguous bachelor lifestyle and the perks that come along with traveling; such as, frequent flyer miles,
hotel upgrades and car rentals. Ryan, to his surprise, runs into a female version of himself at a hotel bar.
Alex Goran, played by Vera Farmiga (The Departed, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), also tracks success
by frequent flyer miles, credit cards, hotel and car upgrades and, luckily for Ryan, she too enjoys the
occasional sexual fling. They begin to have a non-committal, no strings attached fling whenever their
paths, or shall I say flights, cross. Shortly after meeting Alex, Ryan learns that he is about to be
“grounded” to his home city of Omaha. His boss, Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman; Juno, Hancock) is
impressed by his new employee, efficiency expert, Natalie Keener’s (newcomer Anna Kendrick; Twilight,
New Moon) big idea of how to cut back expenses: firing people by video conference. Ryan, who prides
himself in his smooth firing techniques, is not keen on the idea of firing people over the computer and
compares it to “breaking up with someone in a text message”. He believes the face to face connection
and straight-faced logic he brings to the table brings a certain human touch that makes it easier for the
people to handle “one of the worst days of their lives.” After convincing Craig that it is important Natalie
learns what his job actually entails, he is assigned to take her cross country and train her on his
techniques. While Up in the Air may not contain as much humor as Reitman’s past masterpieces, his
signature pithy dialogue paired with remarkable performances by Clooney, Farmiga, and Keener make
this movie a must see.
By David Ladd