George Clooney flies the suddenly not-so-friendly skies in UP IN THE AIR
UP IN THE AIR (Jason Reitman, 2009)
www.theupintheairmovie.com
Jason Reitman is now a lofty three-for-three, having written and directed 2005’s biting black comedy THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, helming 2007’s surprise runaway hit JUNO, and now serving as writer, director, and one of the producers on the high-flying drama UP IN THE AIR. George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a self-assured, classy frequent flyer who travels the country firing people, proudly amassing miles and lecturing on living light. But when his boss (Jason Bateman) brings in young hotshot Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) to ground all the hit men and force them to hand out those pink slips via the internet, Bingham is afraid his cozy little world will unravel, especially now that he has met fellow mile-high-club member Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), who also likes to live life fast and loose, with no attachments. A mere thirty-two, Reitman once again displays an intelligence and sense of dry humor well beyond his years, although he clearly picked up some of his wit from his father, Ivan Reitman, who directed STRIPES, GHOST BUSTERS, and DAVE (in addition to TWINS, KINDERGARTEN COP, and SIX DAYS SEVEN NIGHTS). The first half of UP IN THE AIR is plenty charming, as Bingham goes from city to city with a big smile on his face. But following a plot hole you can fly a plane through, the latter parts are a bit of a letdown as Reitman struggles to bring it all in for a landing. Still, UP IN THE AIR is an inventive, insightful film, albeit with some misguided turbulence.