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Up In the Air (2009) George Clooney, Vera Farmiga Directed by Jason Reitman
In 1996 Cameron Crowe released Jerry Maguire, A film that had Tom Cruise playing a guy who falls flat on his face in almost every aspect of life…repeatedly. It was groundbreaking work for Cruise who up until that point never played against type…at least not successfully. It was a riveting movie that was both realistic and relatable, and it was nominated for best picture. I was 16 years old then and I was rooting heavily for Jerry Maguire to win (ultimately the Oscar went to a good but not great film, The English Patient). Since I’ve had a top ten list, only four movies have ever sniffed the top spot…the longest running is Field Of Dreams, which was the first, it was unseeded for a time by Shawshank, then Jerry Maguire, and lastly and briefly Good Will Hunting…then Field of Dream’s rewatchablity factor kicked in and it went back to the top of the list, and Shawshank followed it as a close second. I have not watched a movie in a long time that made me think “this one has a shot at the top 10 list”, let alone the top spot. Call me crazy but I think I just may have seen one…it is this year’s, this decades, Jerry Maguire…and I say “better late than never!”
Jason Reitman the genius that brought us the great Thank You for Smoking, and the adorable Juno, brings us his most poignant film yet: Up In the Air. The film follows Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) who is a traveling corporate mercenary, hired by companies to fire people. His life is a walking Organized Living store…and he loves it. His empty clockwork lifestyle is rattled by two women, Alex Goran (played beautifully by Vera Farmiga) and Natalie Keener (a perfectly casted Anna Kendrick of Twilgiht fame). Like Jerry Maguire we see him struggle with his fall from grace, and we watch his realization that his life that he has convinced himself was good enough, is starting to cave in like a house of cards. The film is for adults unmistakably, and since I am now one of those, I totally get it. It took me awhile, but I get that women have plans and they map out things, thus creating expectations, which inevitably get dashed with every loser they date. I also get that being your own man, on your own hand built perfect island, though at times feels just right, is so often not enough in the long run. These are things only adults will relate to (at least those who have been exposed to this kinda stuff), and when they watch this film, and they relate to things like that…it’s going to hurt. The genius of the film lies in its humility, just like it did in Cameron Crowe’s Jerry Maguire, we have to watch Tom Cruise trip on his way out of his office, and we have to watch Clooney stress out as things unravel…not just because it’s entertaining (and it is) but because its real…it’s what most of us would do.
(The Shawshank Scale 1-10) Whereas 500 Days of Summer (the current #1 film thus far) resonates soundly with young adults and their passion for love, Up In the Air resonates with older adults and their passion for complicated reality…and again since I suppose (as I turn thirty in this coming year) I am now a reluctant adult…I will bump Up In the Air above 500 Days…it absolutely deserves the highest mark since the blog started 8.5…the clear frontrunner for Best Picture. SEE IT NOW!
Food For Thought: For the holidays I made a Bone-In Rib Eye Roast which was awesome. I pepper encrusted the whole thing, and added Accent and lemon…then you just slow cook it. Up next for Clooney is a more upbeat film, where he plays an assassin called The American. For Vera Farmiga there is a Keanu Reeves prison drama called Henry’s Crime. Anna Kendrick reprises her role as Jessica in the Twilight Saga and Jason Bateman reprises his role as Michael Bluth in the Arrested Development film.
I really really liked this movie. Reminded me of Almost Famous more than Maguire, but I need to watch that again.
ReplyDeleteWent to go see Avatar in 3D. It was a very enjoyable movie with a good story line and depth. Most fantasy movies will put me to sleep because of the lack of depth.
ReplyDeleteThe human emotions felt by some of the characters when they distroyed the "tree" carried over to the audiance. This is something I haven't felt from many fantasy movies. I felt for "Jake" the paralized marine vet who through the Avatar experiance was able to regain not only his full body movement but alot of emotions that conciquently die when you become paralized.
I agree with Nick it was a long running film, I would have shortened some of the combat sceens but again it was offered in 3D so I beleive the producers want to give bang for the buck to the consumers. Also this movie as I understand it was 10+ years in the making and was the most costly to make of all time.
Good movie, long but good. I don't know if you'll get the same "hit" if you watch it on the small screen. Go see it at the matinee yopu won't be dissapointed.
Agree mostly Wes, well said.
ReplyDeleteI am in, it was very good. Best of the year? I have to think about it.
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