Like so many movies that I fall in love with, it’s hard to nail down an exact plot for Jason Reitman’s latest film, Up in the Air.
Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a man who makes his living firing others, like some sort of corporate ninja. When his company decides to ground him and his co-ninja’s in favor of a new way of doing business (via computers and webcams) he has to take new-girl Natalie (played by Anna Kendrick) out on the road to show her that he doesn’t JUST fire people, he offers them hope. Along the way he meets Alex (Vera Farmiga, doing her best impression of whatever actress you love from any of those old B&W films, yeah, that one), a woman who not only seems to understand his way of life, but doesn’t judge him for it.
It’s weird to say that I get Ryan Bingham, because we pretty much have nothing in common (the least of which is that he’s fictional and I’m not…I think), but I do. A man that spends a lot of time travelling and a majority of that alone, even if he’s surrounded by people. But he likes it. He has his routine, he enjoys what he does, he’s happy, and someone coming in and disrupting the status quo, that’s something he can’t deal with. Change is not something he enjoys, nor wants, in his life, much less his job. I completely GET that.
I should probably say, possible spoilers for the movie ahead, not that there’s much to spoil, it’s not exactly a twist-y epic of a movie. Also: it’s probably going to get (or at least sound) misogynistic, since a big part of the films plot hinges on the differences between men ad women. Or, at least one man and one woman.
The minute you see Vera Farmiga on screen you know she’s the one. She’s the woman that’s going to make him re-think everything about his life, the one that will make him want something more. The remark I made earlier, about her doing her best impression of any number of great actresses from Hollywood’s past, that may have sounded flippant, but I meant it. If Clooney is this generation’s Bogey, she’s doing a damn fine Bacall. You instantly feel the attraction between the two, but more importantly, you can see yourself falling in love with her character. She’s the one that’s going to change him.
That’s where I was wrong. It’s not the love interest that makes him think that he’s got it all wrong, that there may be something to a life spent on the ground, it’s the co-worker. As Natalie tags along with him on what may be his last travelling hurrah she begins to asses his life and pick it apart. When, the truth is that she’s looking at his life through her own eyes and not his. She has a list of things she needs to be happy, and applies all of that to him.
There’s a fantastic scene where the three leads are sitting down and Natalie talks about where she thought she’d be at this point in her life (married to a guy with a one syllable name who loves dogs and funny movies, works in finance, outdoor type, is 6ft tall with kind eyes and a nice smile, she’d have a kid, a house, a Grand Cherokee, corner office during the day, entertaining at night) and it’s just insane. But, not because it’s wrong. I’ve known so many women with this outlook on their lives. They have this criteria for what will make them happy, and anything less than that would just mean that they settled. When, it’s exactly the opposite. You’re basically saying that if a man meets all these standards, then, that’s a guy I can be with, that’s a life I can handle, a life I want. When, love isn’t even part of the equation, and ultimately has nothing to do with any of that stuff. Like I said, it’s going to sound misogynistic, and it is I guess. But, that way of thinking just baffles me.
So, as I was saying, it’s Natalie who gets him to re-think his life. And, probably because there’s some truth to what she says he, he takes a chance.
I’m not going to spoil the ending, it’s just too brilliant to ruin, but I will say that Clooney gives maybe one of the finest performances of his career. If you’ve seen the film then you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about, but that scene where he takes those two steps backwards, standing in the snow, that look on his face. No dialogue, everything you need to know is in his expression.
Anna Kendrick is a bit over the top as Natalie, the minute you see her cold, suit-wearing business woman you know the whole thing is a charade, and too much of what she does feels telegraphed, but it’s serviceable I suppose. I’ve already talked about Farmiga, and I can see her being a strong contender for Best Actress come Oscar day this year.
The movie is peppered with tons of great (sometimes head-scratching) cameos; Sam Elliott, J.K. Simmons, Danny McBride, Zack Galifianakis, Adhir Kalyin, Chris Lowell, Melanie Lynskey and even Young MC, and a fantastic turn by Jason Bateman as a bit of a sleezebag. All good performances, but a number of them just take you out of the film alltogether. “Hey, that’s Sam Elliott!” is great when you’re watching The Big Lebowski, not so much when you’re sitting on a plain with Ryan Bingham weighing the decisions of your life.
I know this phrase has been run into the ground by film critics, and I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it used in relation to this particular film, but, Howard Hawks said that to have a good movie you need “Three great scenes and no bad ones.” That’s Up in the Air to a tee.
