Filmikaze!

By: Jason Reitman (director, screenplay), Sheldon Turner (screenplay), Walter Kim (novel)

Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman

With a job that has him traveling around the country firing people, Ryan Bingham leads an empty life out of a suitcase, until his company does the unexpected: ground him.

The most apt word to describe how I felt about Up in the Air is underwhelmed. Part of this may be owing to the largely glowing reactions I’ve seen to the film, but I like to think that I’m capable of appreciating something on its own merit, and the bulk of the blame falls squarely upon the shoulders of a movie that is impeccably acted and well-directed but not particularly original or engaging.

Up in the Air details the life of Ryan Bingham (Clooney), a chronic business traveler and inspirational speaker who fires people for a living. This premise should be interesting, but is instead contrived: were this film populated by lesser actors, it would be dreadfully dull. Clooney is predictably charming, and reminded me why I would happily watch him in most anything, and while the rest of the cast gives strong performances, it is clear from the outset that he’s carrying the entire thing. Vera Farmiga was excellent as the romantic interest and a surprising bright spot, despite my having guessed her character’s secret from the start.

The short length of this review should give enough indication of how impressed I was with the film; I simply don’t have much to say about it one way or the other. It isn’t a bad movie by any means, but it is mostly forgettable aside from Clooney’s performance, and not the sort of film I would bother to watch again.