Regardless of how you feel about Jason Reitman’s previous films, its hard to deny that he is one of the biggest up and coming directors in Hollywood. His first film, Thank You for Smoking, took pot shots at the lobbying industry while still exposing the warmheart that exists within the, supposed, cold bastards.Juno, his next film, made high school love seem much more tangible and possible than any film before it. Already making his third film in four years, Reitman has pulled in a massive cast full of huge stars in order to make his newest project, Up In the Air, get off the ground.
Up In the Air chronicles the aerial journeys of Ryan Bingham, played here by George Clooney, a walking corporate downsizer who spends the vast majority of his time flying from figurative hit to figurative hit. When the audience meets Ryan, he has already abandoned all trivial belongings and personal ties to other people, leaving him completely isolated from those around him. His profession charges him with doling out the bad news of being laid off to hundreds of people per year in order for nervous bosses to escape the glares, tears and rage of discontent that comes with being fired.
While on the road, he finds companionship in the form of Vera Farmiga’s character, Alex, who is basically “his twin…with a vagina.” While this relationship was a conscious decision on Ryan’s part, his eventual connection with Natalie Keener, portrayed by Anna Kendrick, is far from voluntary. In fact, she is spearheading an initiative that makes Ryan’s profession obsolete through video conferencing. These two differing relationships that Ryan finds himself in help to highlight several of the major thematic elements in the film.
The film’s cast does a stellar job, as Clooney will probably receive an obligatory Oscar nomination. However, the real standout performance here lies with Vera Farmiga’s character who acts as Bingham’s love interest throughout the film. She acts as both his sole source of comfort and his foil, offering differing insights into life and love alike. Her performance is astonishingly dynamic and provides a degree of depth that I hardly expected. Anna Kendrick isn’t near as annoying as she could have been, which is a pleasant surprise from a cynic codger like myself.
One of the most developed themes that the film explores is the idea of connections: how we choose our relationships, the positive and negative effects they have on our lives, and how these connections change. Ryan Bingham is, for all intents and purposes, without connections. He strives to remove himself from any sense of community before it even develops, as he sees every relationship as potential for pain, embarrassment, and loneliness.
In 1995, sociologist Robert Putnam put forth a theory that our society is becoming increasingly disconnected. Rather than building community through bowling leagues, Americans would rather bowl alone. Were Putnam to see this film, I can guarantee that Ryan Bingham would make up an entire chapter in his next edition. Ryan prefers to be alone and finds his solace in the air, constantly traveling from place to place delivering bad news. He is representative of our culture, who is becoming further and further disconnected from each other. We prefer to email rather than call, god forbid we actually speak face to face. We’d rather use Facebook to keep in contact with with people, only so we don’t have to put any effort into the relationship.
The film’s greatest achievement is one that will most likely be passed over for years. Up In the Air accurately captures this era, to a point that few people will be able to realize it without it being placed in the context of the past. As the decade closes, our view on the next few years is fickle. Seemingly endless wars, the current state of the economy and the mood of the nation play into the oscillating emotions of hope and pessimism throughout Reitman’s film. Our current outlook on the future seesaws from day to day, similar to the mood of the film. Seamless changes from hilarious comedy to poignant drama encapsulate this idea so fully that, as previously mentioned, it will most likely not be fully appreciated until the film can be framed in the era in which it was made.
Up In the Air is a sign of the times, riding upon a white horse. Reitman shows us what the characters in our own lives, including ourselves, will look like if we continue to reject personal connections and avoid relationships. He, along with Clooney’s pitch perfect performance, shows us the perils of this lifestyle. Bingham gives lectures several times throughout the film, analogizing men with sharks. He feels that we’re solitary animals who, in order to survive, must continue to progress. The film’s thesis challenges this, asking how much we must sacrifice our nature as social beings in order to facilitate personal success.
5/5
