Andy Stuckey and Ryan Maddux
This week we continue to look at Oscar hopefuls with director Jason Reitman’s new film, Up in the Air (PG-13). George Clooney stars as a corporate axe man whose job it is to fly all over the country firing people. When forced to train a young upstart (Anna Kendrick) who is making his job obsolete, Clooney must deal with the consequences his lifestyle and his work. Jason Bateman and Vera Farmiga costar.
Ryan: Up in the Air is one of the best films of the year and will be an integral film in Oscar discussion in the coming weeks. I found it to be a truly superb film that harkens back to the movies of Frank Capra and Preston Sturges. Like their movies, it’s a dramatic film with light touches of humor sprinkled throughout. But more importantly the movie is a poignant portrait of its times. Like Sullivan’s Travels and Meet John Doe, Up in the Air accurately reflects it’s time period while telling a timeless American story.
Andy: What’s striking about Up in the Air is the immediacy of the story. It is telling about a man whose job it is to fire people, which all too many people can relate to in our current economy. What’s more, he learns that his job is in jeopardy and has to reconcile the harsh irony of his situation. The story plays out in such an authentic and human way that we feel an emotional connection to the characters even without major, dramatic scenes. It is this subtly of character that helps Up in the Air have that classic feeling Ryan is talking about.
Ryan: Because of the very nature that it takes months if not years for a movie to be fully produced, very few films reflect in a factual manner the given mood of the country. But Up in the Air nails it with regard to its themes dealing with the current economic climate. Even more so the movie goes beyond the current economic uncertainties to tell a story that perpetuates ideals of traditional American mythology. Clooney’s character (Ryan Bingham) represents the iconic self-reliant individual--who is always on the move and detached from society--that has been represented in countless literary and cinematic works. Consequently Ryan Bingham symbolizes the "American Adam" of the 21st century.
Andy: There is no question that this movie is not nearly effective if George Clooney is not in it. There are not many actors working today who could pull off this role the way it needs to be done. This character is firing people. As he states many times, he is with people on one of the worst days of their lives, and the only way to successfully play the character is with a professional charm and empathy that is impressive to watch. But it is in the scenes where he is not working and we see the true humanity of the character struggling to get out from underneath professional façade that Clooney makes himself a shoo-in for a best actor nomination.
Ryan: Besides scoring a guaranteed Best Picture nomination, the movie showcases three Oscar-caliber performances. Clooney’s a lock for a Best Actor nomination and this is just further proof that Clooney was the male film star of the decade. Clooney’s charm and skill is in full effect in the film. But not to be outdone are the two female co-leads. I don’t think it will be surprising if both Farmiga and Kendrick score nominations in the Best Supporting Actress category. They both give solid performances but I would say that Kendrick is slightly favored over Farmiga simply because her character is more evolved.
Andy: Up in the Air works on just about every level without being over the top or obnoxious. The writing, composition, and acting are all at the highest level of filmmaking that I’ve seen this year, making it my early favorite for Best Picture. Worth noting is that director Jason Reitman has only made two other feature-lengths (Thank You For Smoking and Juno), but is in top form here. There is no question that he is the most promising young director working in Hollywood today.
Up in the Air is an outstanding movie that will be called out repeatedly this award season. Final grade: A-.
