Up in the Air

4 stars

Ryan Bingham’s life policy is to be relationship-free, until he meets Alex Goran.

Rating: 14A
Stars: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Jason Bateman, Anna Kendrick

What’s the story?
Ryan Bingham (Clooney) spends his life in the air, both literally and figuratively. He is constantly flying from place to place at the request of bosses who don’t have the courage to fire their employees themselves. The constant flying suits his philosophy of life perfectly: it allows no baggage. No relationships with family, friends, acquaintances, or lovers; no house to take care of; no piles of junk, trinkets or nick-knacks to fill up the house. But when Ryan’s boss (Bateman) threatens him with the prospect of no longer flying due to the progressive ideas of new recruit Natalie (Kendrick), as well as meeting fellow flyer Alex (Farmiga), his views on being grounded start to change.

Why see it?
Jason Reitman’s Oscar-nominated movie Juno showed the world how talented he is as a storyteller. This holds true for the subtle yet greatly layered movie Up in the Air. Although not much happens in terms of action, there are many hidden messages that deal with the concept of liberty and the illusions and purpose of life. The music selection plays a very important part in making Up in the Air so divine; the songs are chosen and played carefully with such precise timing that the mood is magnified three-fold.

Problems?
There are a few unnecessary scenes in the movie and with the extra time, came some boredom.

All in All:
Another deeply layered movie from Jason Reitman.