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Up in the Air

It’s tempting to suggest that Jason Reitman has inherited his considerable talents as a writer and director from his father, the popular filmmaker Ivan Reitman. However, the truth is that Jason Reitman’s films have a humour, wit and sophistication which is entirely his own. His latest film ‘Up in the Air’ represents the finest work yet of his short but dazzling career.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) spends his life in the skies, travelling across America to use his well practiced charm to give people the bad news that they’ve lost their jobs. He carries his entire life in one small suitcase and prefers the perks of first class travel to the baggage and problems of real life on the ground. But when he is forced to mentor a naive young protégé and makes an unexpected connection with a beautiful fellow traveller, he finds his selfish attitudes and solitary existence challenged.

Reitman’s impressive debut ‘Thank you for Smoking’ focused on an arrogant tobacco lobbyist and his Oscar winning follow up ‘Juno’ was a comedy about teenage pregnancy, both demonstrated an impressive ability to achieve the delicate balance between comedy and drama. ‘Up in the Air’ matches and exceeds these achievements by once again gracefully blending hilarity with intricate social themes and affecting personal drama.

It would be natural to assume that the film’s backdrop of corporate downsizing is knowingly topical and designed to grab the attention of a world in the grip of serious financial crisis. However, Walter Kim’s original novel was written in 2001 and Jason Reitman spent many years trying to bring his adaptation to the big screen. In that time, worsening global economies have turned the theme of unemployment from a coincidental plot device into a serious focal point for audiences. Scenes of loyal employees being unceremoniously fired are now too uncomfortably close to the real world to be a source of easy comedy. But thankfully, the film and its superb cast handle this delicate subject matter with intelligent sensitivity.

The film’s close relationship with reality lends it an aura of authenticity. In fact, with the exception of a few star cameos, Jason Reitman chose to use real life victims of recession instead of actors to help capture the true emotions of scenes where Ryan dispatches the workforces of cowardly businesses. The sincerity and effectiveness of these exchanges gives the cast a solid ground upon which to build their own dramas.

As the world’s most famous eligible bachelor, George Clooney could be dismissed as a very obvious choice to play the role of a man who refuses to be tied down by love, family or relationships. However, playing a character that invites such obvious and potentially unwelcome comparisons with his own life is a brave decision for the actor. It’s true that in many ways this is another typical Clooney performance, but it’s also a particularly brilliant and subtle portrayal from one of the best actors of his generation.

Actors often speak of finding the ‘role of a lifetime’, in this case it could be said that George Clooney has found the role of ‘his lifetime’. This film provides the perfect opportunity to explore his suave public persona and delve beyond the charming Hollywood idol status which has shadowed much of his career. Seeing glimpses of uncertainty and loneliness gradually emerge beneath Ryan’s confident facade is like watching a magician accidentally reveal his secrets. It’s fascinating to see the true vulnerability of someone you once believed to be magical.

While much of the film's focus is on Clooney’s magnificent central performance, the powerful supporting cast is just as essential and enthralling. In Hollywood films, lazy writing often seems to leave the roles of women as two dimensional stereotypes. In contrast, some of the most impressive qualities of Jason Reitman’s films are the strength and complexity of his female characters.

In ‘Up in the Air’ Vera Farmiga is ultimately alluring as Alex, a ‘love interest’ who is every inch the confident equal of Ryan’s debonair lone wolf. The intensely charged chemistry between these two characters is a thoroughly believable catalyst for Ryan’s re-assessment of what really matters in life. Anna Kendrick is similarly magnificent as Natalie, the girl that Ryan reluctantly takes with him on his travels. Her naive enthusiasm for life and love represents the film’s most direct counterpoint to Ryan’s jaded and selfish cynicism. It’s a role that could very easily have become an annoying cliché, but instead it gives the film another dimension of dry wit and thoughtfulness.

Both actresses’ performances have already earned them significant award recognition and this is likely to be continued with nominations at this year’s rapidly approaching Oscar ceremony. It will not be a surprise to see Jason Reitman and George Clooney join them on stage to be similarly rewarded for their own astonishing work. 'Up in the Air' demands attention and acclaim as a smart graceful commentary on our uncertain times.