A life of high-flying solitude

Movie #6: "Up in the Air"

Directed by Jason Reitman; Screenplay by Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner; Based on book by Walter Kirn


With all the talk of "Up in the Air" being about the current state of the economy, don't let anyone fool you. The book version of "Up in the Air" was written far before the downfall of the stock market and auto industry. This movie is about people. It's about all the small, trivial things that make human relationships so poignant and staggering. From the touch of a hand to the sheer joy of forgetting the world around you as you dance tipsy on a dance floor, "Up in the Air" wants you to reflect on the moments of your life that make you happy.

For me, "Up in the Air" has the same intangible quality, and ability to touch a nerve, that the film "American Beauty" has. When I saw "Beauty" in the theatre, I sat and cried while the end credits rolled and everyone else headed for the exit. Why, I don't know, but the film moved me deeply. Yes, the part where the neighbor boy shows off his video of a plastic bag blowing in the wind is far beyond pretentious. Things really can't be that bad if you have a roof over your head and money to burn as the characters in these movies do. But their situations echo the lives of those of us who have enough money and possessions to sometimes feel guilty for our luck, but not enough that we don't sometimes desire more. Such situations are rich material for the satire of "Beauty" and "Air."

In "Air," George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a professional terminator of jobs. He travels state to state to different companies, firing employees. He travels most days of the year and hordes frequent flier miles. Marching into this life of self-induced isolation comes new colleague Natalie. Played by Anna Kendrick, Natalie is fresh out of college and full of business-like pragmatism. She believes the company would save loads of money if they did the firings online, a possibility that would put an end to Bingham's life as the happy transient. To show her that in-person firing isn't as easy as it looks, Bingham takes Natalie on a crash-course in firing, which of course, turns out to be more of a crash-course in life.

Along the way, Ryan meets Alex, played wonderfully by Vera Farmiga. She, too, travels frequently for her job, and one night in a hotel bar, they find they have an equally unnatural passion for travelers' perks. This flirtation quickly leads to a sexual relationship which they rekindle in various cities when their schedules allow. I appreciate how the movie shows the evolution of their relationship in a natural way. They don't have some big talk about moving the relationship out of bootie-call mode into something more serious. It just happens. Ryan and Alex are two people who may or may not have different motives, but when they're together, they're on the same page, they are in the moment, and they are seemingly in love in that "I could kiss you all day and not get tired of it" kind of way. What I love about their chemistry is that it's not portrayed as two jaded 30 & 40-somethings who are bitter because they haven't yet succeeded in love. Their affection for each other is fresh and reminiscent of what it looks like to be in love for the very first time.

What is clearly evident throughout the film is Ryan's loneliness and his self-imposed exile from family and potential relationships. A major part of the plot is Ryan's sister's wedding, which shows the family dynamics in a very realistic light. His sisters are played amazingly by Amy Morton and Melanie Lynskey (the bride). To me, the scene that is the crux of the movie is one in which Ryan is called on to convince his sister's fiance, who is suffering from cold feet, that he should get married. In the scene, the fiance tells Ryan how lucky he is that he's single with no responsibilities or commitments. How Ryan responds is what makes this movie for me, because ultimately this movie isn't about Ryan and Alex, or Ryan and his family. It's about Ryan.

"Up in the Air" looks at life as the limbo we experience between birth and death, and how we decide to either cherish it or flush it down the toilet. By the end of the film, Ryan realizes he could have something more, and even if he doesn't get it right away, he's had a taste of it and knows that he wants it.

The women in this film are wonderfully written. Alex and Natalie are strong, intelligent and capable of behavior typically only portrayed by men in movies. I hope mainstream cinema welcomes more films like this in which women have practical agendas, not just hopes and dreams.