Up in arms over Clooney

Young director Jason Reitman has only been making feature films for the last five years and has already cut an artistic niche out for himself in the cinema community. In 2005, his articulate commentary “Thank You for Smoking” featured the world of tobacco companies and lobbyists from a unique perspective. Two years later “Juno” came forth and was hailed as an icon in the indie film community, which launched Reitman as a director with the ability to make people comically aware of their flaws and idiosyncrasies as a part of the American culture.

This past December, Reitman scored highly again with “Up in the Air,” a film about travel, starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. Based on the 2001 novel by Walter Kirn, the movie has an attention to detail that few films have; the importance and efficiency of good luggage, the wide variety of hotel key cards and living in transit. “Up in the Air” has a nostalgic feel for anyone who has ever traveled extensively.

With a soundtrack by artists Elliot Smith, Dan Auerbach and Crosby, Stills & Nash, the music provides the film with a rough and soulful texture. Already respected for his soundtrack work, Reitman won a Grammy for his soundtrack in “Juno.”

Clooney, Farmiga and Kendrick work well together as a cast, which is not surprising considering Clooney’s history as a suave leading man and Farmiga’s ability to capture the screen with her femininity, displayed in her role as the seductive shrink in “The Departed.” As an actor, Clooney has seen most of the world, especially when working on films like Syriana, most of which was shot in the Middle East. He believably and comfortably portrays the traveling man. The three main actors establish a fast pace vibe early in the film; conversations and dialogue flow and interesting relationships are constructed through an ability to act naturally on screen.

Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a business man who is constantly on the move, some 322 days a year to be exact. Bingham works for a company that lends their employees out to businesses across the country to do the firing for bosses and managers who would rather avoid the sticky process. Along the way, Bingham is climbing closer to a personal goal of his own, the “10 million mile club,” something only a select few have ever done. “More people have been to the moon,” he said in the movie.

Bingham crosses paths with Alex (Farmiga) in an airport lounge and they quickly develop a casual traveling relationship where they meet in various cities when their schedules cross. Keener (Kendrick) plays a woman hired by Bingham’s business and proposes a new system that would no longer require Bingham to fly and meet with the people he is firing face to face. Bingham immediately rejects the idea since he has known the traveling life for so long. He sees this as jeopardizing the life he has come to be so familiar with.

Critic’s Conclusion: “Up in the Air” is a superbly crafted film by Reitman speaking to the value of relationships and the comfort people find in their strange and hectic schedules. The actors in the film are both comical at times and also strongly poignant at other points. It is safe to say that Reitman has taken his film making to another level. Both entertaining and telling, “Up in the Air” soars with a tight knit screen play, acting and a rustic soundtrack. B -