Up in the Air is the most topical Hollywood release in memory, a far more scarifying disaster film than 2012 or The Road. Jason Reitman’s third film deals with massive corporate layoffs but more importantly it is about the people who do the firing while living above it all. George Clooney is the star but Vera Farmiga (“. . . one of the warmest and most attractive women in the movies” – Roger Ebert) and Anna Kendrick more than hold up their end of the witty dialogue. Take out the Oceans films and big time movie star Clooney has never had $100 million film. (Michael Clayton, a great film I have watched five times, never made $50 million!). I can’t predict the box office but today I would guess Up In The Air, being so smart and entertaining, will be best picture of 2009. If I had to criticize I would say the film strays off course a bit in the final act, veering from an insightful portrait of disconnection and turns into a kind of mushy, kind of vague, kind of conventional ending. But . . . forget it. As Ann Hornaday put it in the Washington Post: “Up in the Air is a timeless movie that’s utterly of its time — a movie of humor, heart and mind.” [ RT ]
Minutes after seeing Up In The Air at the Meridian 16, downtown Seattle, Gary and Norm talking about the film at the Daily Grind.
Other reviews . . .
‘Blind Side’ hits No. 1 as ‘Up in the Air’ soars
Box-office phenomenon “The Blind Side” dominated the traditionally slow weekend after Thanksgiving as four new movies failed to do much business but “Up in the Air” soared in limited release.
● More from: latimes.com
‘Up in the Air’
“Up in the Air” makes it look easy. Not just in its casual and apparently effortless excellence, but in its ability to blend entertainment and insight, comedy and poignancy, even drama and reality, things that are difficult by themselves but a whole lot harder in combination. This film does all that and never seems to break a sweat. ● More from: Kenneth Turan film critic — latimes.com
George Clooney in Up in the Air
Up in the Air goes down like a sedative. This is a movie that’s easy to like—and to dislike as well. Less adapted from than inspired by Walter Kirn’s 2001 novel, Jason Reitman’s third feature is a glibly serious comedy about a professional terminator. George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, corporate road warrior and hired gun, living out of a stowable wheeled suitcase and flying first-class city to city, or rather company to company, discharging redundant workers. It’s a job and the joke is, he loves it. ● More from: villagevoice.com
‘Up in the Air’ one of 2009′s best films
Jason Reitman’s sublime third film, “Up in the Air,” succeeds most in something it never does — take the easy way out. ● More from: EagleTribune.com
Movie review: George Clooney stars in ‘Up in the Air’
George Clooney has been pretty busy lately, between “The Men Who Stare at Goats” and the animated feature “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Both of those are enjoyable enough larks, but “Up in the Air” finds Clooney in a role he seems to have been born for. There are fewer things more sublime than Clooney in his comfort zone — think “Michael Clayton” — and when it happens, the best advice is to sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. ● More from: Ann Hornaday, Washington Post Staff Writer
Jason Reitman Uses Travel Experience for ‘Up in the Air’
EVEN though Jason Reitman’s last film, “Juno,” was nominated for a best picture Oscar and his forthcoming film, “Up in the Air,” is among the most buzzed about this year, you probably wouldn’t notice this bearded young man walking by you in an airport. ● More from: NYTimes.com
Clooney’s Cookie Crumbs: [Up in the Air] Vera Farmiga Interview
Vera Farmiga gets the sexiest role of her career in Up in the Air. She and George Clooney play a pair of road warrior execs who fall for each other and discover that they have something in common besides their passion: they’re both obsessed with racking up frequent flyer miles. ● More from: Vera Farmiga’s New Role: The Gal Who Dumps George Clooney
by Jeanne Wolf
Up in the Air Movie Review
There’s a great episode of King Of The Hill in which pest-control specialist Dale Gribble finds his work is poisoning his health. Forced to take an office job, he discovers that he has a hidden talent: firing people. As the star of director Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air, George Clooney also demonstrates a proficiency as a professional exterminator for the human workforce. ● More from: www.a1moviereviews.com
Up in the Air :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews
Ryan Bingham is the Organization Man for the 2000s. He never comes to the office. Technically, he doesn’t have an office, he has an address where his employer has an office. His life is devoted to visiting other people’s offices, and firing them. “Up in the Air” takes the trust people once had in their jobs and pulls out the rug. It is a film for this time. ● More from: rogerebert.com :: Reviews
Director Jason Reitman puts his spin on life in his movies
Airports are architecture’s ice sculptures — beautiful but cold structures. Detroit’s Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is a particularly intriguing hub, bright and modern with a bizarre tunnel that plays a sort of hypnotic anti-music accompanied by a light show. ● More from: Houston Chronicle
‘Up in the Air’ reflects nation’s current economic turbulence
Funny and moving, the film — which has some interesting connections to metro Detroit — is being praised for its timeliness.
It’s a movie that makes you think about important journeys, and not just the kind you take in a plane. Just ask “Up in the Air” director Jason Reitman, 32, about the many years he spent working on the screenplay inspired by the 2001 novel by Walter Kirn. ● More from: Detroit Free Press
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Anna Kendrick’s next film . . .