Have you ever been fired or had to fire someone? Unless you’re Donald “You’re Fired!” Trump it’s never nice. In fact, the only time it’s considered to have gone well by American standards is if no one died. We think we’re defined by our jobs. These days, it’s the first bland thing anyone ever asks upon introduction, “So what do you do for a living?”, to which you respond, “I’m a lion tamer, deal with it!”.

I guess that’s why it’s so painful, taking the very thing that defines or establishes us in society and whipping it right out from under us!  There’s no way to avoid retrenchment and firing from being anything but personal (just ask Milton Waddams), and this state of weightlessness is where Ryan Bingham finds himself… Up in the Air.

Catch the rest of the review and the trailer after the jump…

For Ryan Bingham, firing has become something of an art form. Companies that want to keep their hands clean and protect themselves from wrongful dismissals and work place incidents contract agencies like Ryan’s to let the heads roll and mop up the mess afterward. Bingham is like a traveling salesman, flying from company to company, state to state… letting “firees” down easy and offering a false sense of hope for their futures. He’s an insincere guidance counselor at best, an axe to deadwood and a buffer for companies to get a move on with their corporate downsizing.

There’s a false sense of intimacy in Ryan’s interactions. He gets to be in each candidate’s head space for a couple of minutes… without feeling any intrinsic responsibility for his actions. Poverty, suicide, loss of self-esteem… these concerns are best forgotten. His smooth talking and off-the-cuff charm give him the license to operate within this realm with repetitive one-liners, but that’s not to say there aren’t any serious repercussions.

For one, he himself is on the way out… thanks to a new video conference system designed to save costs by making virtual firing a possibility. Bingham’s own insecurity and feelings of emptiness and loneliness begin to emerge… as a family member’s wedding approaches, as he meets another traveler and as his job is put in jeopardy – leaving him Up in the Air.

The film is written and directed by Jason Reitman of Thank You For Smoking and Juno, and takes a similar comedic approach to some fairly serious subject matter with an excellent script. There are several memorable scenes and Clooney delivers the lines with just the right balance of charm and bite.

“Get OUTTA here… the first time a woman’s bought YOU a drink?!”

George Clooney is excellent as Bingham, bringing a real presence to the role – reaching for fulfillment, but always tripping into cynicism, never quite managing to find his heart a home. He’s supported by the luscious Vera Farminga, whose sultry performance and reflective charms always demand our attention. Anna Kendrick also delivers a very watchable performance, taking her fresh-faced character’s perfectionism into murky depths with as reality bites. All in all, it’s a solid ensemble, led by a strong lead with rock solid supporting performances.

There’s a cold, impersonal, minimalistic yet beautiful look to Up in the Air as Bingham moves between companies, hotels, motels and airports. Traveling out of a suitcase for weeks can’t be much fun and Bingham’s detachment from so-called normal life really shines through. His ideology on traveling light takes him to seminars as a motivational speaker, believing that in order to make it in the world, you’ve got to be flexible, light on baggage and ready to move at a moment’s notice.

Up in the Air has a similar arc, comedy and flow to About Schmidt with Jack Nicholson, who also finds himself on the road… detached from any sense of home… newly “single” and destined for a family wedding. The same coming-of-age back story, reassessment of life, dark comedy and ‘traveling light’ concept exist in both films. About Schmidt is just about a different stage of life, as a retired  and widowed gentleman embarks on a road trip to rediscover himself and share a hot tub with Kathy Bates.

Up in the Air is funny, entertaining and full of surprises. The one minute you’re laughing and the next minute you’re finding a cutting parallel between your life and poor Ryan Bingham’s. There’s a deep-seated sense of isolation and lack of grounding in this professional bachelor’s life that is genuinely disturbing. Up in the Air taps into this insecurity with a funny yet cautionary tale of the man who travels too lightly through life, like the character of Fielding in A Passage to India (don’t worry, I didn’t read the whole thing either). It’s enjoyable, but don’t be misled by its comedy… it’s far from being a feel good movie.

The bottom line: Insightful.

Release date: 29 January, 2010

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