Pugwash News - Portsmouth's Official Student Newspaper

5/5]

Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air tells the story of a corporate man who is literally lost in the clouds as he becomes more and more out of step with reality.

George Clooney and Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air. Photo by Paramount Pictures.

Oscar winner George Clooney is on fine form playing Ryan Bingham, who works for a company that goes round to other companies to tell their employees the happy news that they ‘have been let go’. Bingham flies around America, to the point where he flies 350,000 miles a year (further than the distance to the moon) by himself. He is lonely, and spends so much time away from home that he considers being 10,000ft in the air as his home, but he is at least content with his life. Until he meets Vera Farmiga’s enchantingly seductive Alex; and begins to question his life goal of accumulating 10 million air miles.

The cast all put in exceptional performances; Clooney delivers on every front, playing a character who, despite living a depressing lifestyle, remains good hearted and identifiable. Vera Farmiga’s performance is certainly on a par with Clooney’s, playing essentially the female version of Bingham, and the two characters connect perfectly on screen. Anna Kendrick also does a better than average job playing a young, talented developer who has designed webcam-sacking software. This in itself is a threat to Bingham, as it would tie him to one place. Keener travels round with Bingham to learn the ‘correct way’ to fire someone and queries Bingham’s perception on life. Also, mention has to go to the actors and non-actors who play the doomed folks who are getting fired. Though only briefly on screen their feeling of betrayal, shock and misery are clear and can’t help but be sympathised with.

Reitman films Up in the Air superbly. The opening sequence of aerial shots of cities, towns and the country was beautiful. This, combined with the original plot and fine performances makes it a film many could appreciate. The surprising end gives the audience a lot of room to think by the end, and establishes Up in the Air as one of the best films of the new year.