New Movie Show Review: Up In The Air (2009)

I believe Up In The Air means well, but I think perhaps that was it's greatest problem. The movie tried a bit too hard to be relevant to our current economy and times, and everything here just felt way too on the nose.

For example: The leading character, a man who fires people for a living and spends 300+ days traveling the country without a real care in the world, has a sister who at her wedding has a map of all the places she can't afford to go see (he can and does) But she's happy simply because everyone is contributing to her map of the United States by filling it up with mock pictures of the couple in those places. Oh but wait... Mr. Clooney, the ice man of relationships, is the only person who can salvage the wedding when the groom gets cold feet. And just maybe, just maybe he'll melt in the process too.

It's fine for a movie to be so proud of it's themes that it lays them right out on the table, but sometimes it can get a little too thick... Crash, anyone?

George Clooney did this.

Thankfully Up In The Air doesn't go down that treacherous road as much, but I couldn't help but be disappointed when the movie retracts some of what it was trying to emphasize by having it's lead characters continue to be financially sound in a movie full of people losing their jobs. And then on top of that have interstituals of those getting fired in the last reel finding hope within their darkest hour. That felt a bit forced as when we get fired we generally don't enunciate such things during those times.

If anything this is a picture about people and relationships and how we interact with one another. The film really excels when it simply lets the actors do their jobs. The acting by all is terrific here, and the 3 leads' chemistry works beautifully with each other. Most importantly Vera Farmiga produces a HELLO! moment announcing a possible sex scene when her exposed rear-end enters the frame. I believe there was side boobage as well.

I understand this film's intention is to unite it's audience by identifying with such timely circumstances, but other than the superior and charismatic performances, a potential Oscar winner (especially for Best Screenplay) I just really don't get. Mr. Clooney just needs to get himself on a plane and go to Paris or Tahiti instead of Omaha. And maybe that's what he does at the end. I hope.