Up in the Air (2009)

Directed by Jason Reitman

Rating 10/10



I went to my local theater and saw "Up in the Air" on December 30th, 2009. I definitely saved one of the best movies of the year for last. "Up in the Air" follows Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a very independent man whose job is to fire people. He brings his own professional style to the job and enjoys all the perks that come with it. He gets to travel around the United States and thrives on taking advantage of frequent flyer miles. The job gives him everything he wants; time for himself and no place to call "home." Throughout his job he comes across two women, Alex and Natalie, who change his life completely. At a local bar on one of his work trips, Ryan meets Alex (Vera Farmiga) and they instantly connect. They both get off on the idea of power and confidence. On the other hand, Natalie (Anna Kendrick) changes the way he handles his job. In their first meeting, Natalie is introduced to the company bringing a whole new spin to the job through technology. Her plan is to use webcams to fire people from their jobs, that way there is less money spent on traveling and everything is less stressful. Ryan hates the idea and eventually is forced to take Natalie with him on a job and "show her the ropes." What looked destined to be a terrible experience turns into a learning curve for both of their lives.

There are so many great things to say about this movie, I don't even know where to start. George Clooney impressed the hell out of me with his overall tone and emotions in a role that demanded a strong performance. I also give Jason Reitman a lot of credit for putting together such a great cast. Anna Kendrick hasn't been in the best of movies, however she seems like she is playing herself in this movie. She is the young, yet very professional woman who still sees life as a plan you could write down and live. Her acting is very natural and I look forward to seeing what she has to offer in the future.


Jason Reitman always finds a way to produce messages in his films that really make the audience think and emotionally connect to his movies. Technology is advancing so rapidly it's hard to appreciate what we had before, and at some points is a little excessive. Ryan's job is to fire people in a way that assures them that they will be fine. Doing so over a webcam doesn't provide that personal feeling that a direct face-to-face conversation entails. Today's economy is a very real issue, as companies are starting to crack down on cash being spent on "unneeded" things.


The connection between all of the actors in "Up in the Air" is phenomenal. Jason Bateman, Danny McBride, and Amy Morton make their own cameo appearances that seem very necessary. All of the scenes are very important and vital to the story. There is an ongoing part to the story where Clooney's character takes pictures of a cut-out of his sister and her fiancee in front of a collection of different historical places. It all starts off with the question of "why?" and ends with a simple answer. His sister and fiancee couldn't afford a honeymoon, so they wanted to be able to imagine themselves in all these attractions.

The littlest things in "Up in the Air" make this movie so great. I was thoroughly impressed and would recommend this movie to anyone with human emotions.