Up in the Air

Fly with Clooney--again

This is NOT just another reason to watch George Clooney in a movie. Do not count this out as just another comedy. This witty gem packs intrigue, smarts, and grit, along with some of the best performances of the year from not only Clooney, but also Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, respectively. And life, whether the characters want it to or not, seeps in to your viewing seat, making both Clooney and Kendrick especially reavaluate their well chosen life choices. It's a thinking movie brave enough to step out of bounds and shove viewing beyond entertainment. Sure you're entertained, but you're also educated along for the ride of their lives. If you like lighter fair, however, this may not be for you. It does require thinking.

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Up In The Air made me feel very grounded.

I loved this movie. It spoke volumes to me in many areas. I ordered it to own after viewing on TV.

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Review for Up in the Air

Up in the Air is the story of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), who fires people for a living. He lives a "blissfully" unconnected life, spent mostly on airplanes and at airport lounges, until a chance encounter with a like-minded woman (Vera Farmiga), and a threat to his beloved way of life in the form of a just-out-of-school co-worker (Anna Kendrick) make him reevaluate his life and all. Or something like that. Frankly, I wasn`t blown away by that movie. The performances are great, to be sure, and George Clooney brought his usual form, and had some funny moments...but I was somewhat confused as to what would appeal in this movie in this economic climate. Why would anyone want to emphatize with a guy who fires people for a living? Even if there is, to be sure, a certain "dignity" in the way he does his job...I am not sure whether this is really the story we all want to hear these days. To me it seemed a bit like a mistaken perspective, and forced too. But then again, you can see the irony behind it all, in some ways.
My main problem with the film was that despite the solid performances, I failed to see Ryan Bingham`s character (or even any of the other main characters) as anything remotely believable. Maybe it wasn`t the point, I don`t know.
Either way, it is well worth a watch, and loads of reviews have been raving about it, so I might be wrong for not taking a like to it. Decide for yourself.

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"Up in the Air" Offers Timely, Creative Treatment of Unemployment

I saw "Up in the Air" many months ago, but I have thought about the film nearly every week since then. It is the most timely movie I have ever seen about a current economic problem - unemployment. It provides a realistic view of the shock and other natural reactions of those "displaced" in the current recession. Of course, it does so with a point of view that is fresh and timeless at the same time.
I could relate to those depicted in the movie because I was unemployed for eight months before finding temporary work. The calculated actions of the firm that employs George Clooney's character emphasizes the inhuman treatment that many of those who are being laid off have experienced. At the same time, no character in the film is depicted as a one-dimensional ogre. They are just doing their jobs; but their jobs are to tell others that they have no job anymore.
I think the excellent acting only enhances the incredible script. George Clooney is at his best in black comedies and the rest of the cast perform superbly. These are characters that we think we have met because they all seem like real people. I truly appreciated that I could not predict where the storyline was going, unlike so many films today. I think it is very unfortunate that it was largely overlooked by the Academy Awards.
I rarely purchase DVDs, but "Up in the Air" is one for your personal film library.

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Great movie!

I loved this movie! The dialog was witty. The acting was terrific. I could really relate to George Clooney and Vera Farmiga's characters when they are listening to the younger girl go on and on about her relationship and what she wants from life. She is so young and simplistic but she means well and they are kind about it even when she is insulting them implying they are so old and not married yet. The movie surprises you and is very moving in a quiet way. It is very timely hearing workers vent about getting laid off. The visuals in the movie are wonderful. It absolutely deserved to be nominated for best picture. I kind of wish it had won. Don't miss the song "Up in the Air" during the end credits. The guy that wrote it was out of work and broke and got the tape to the director who was in town speaking at a college. It just happened to have the same title! Such a cool story. This is a good movie to buy on DVD because you will want to watch it more than once.

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enjoyed this one a lot--and I'm not a real movie buff

I really liked the unpredictable plot, and George and Vera did a great job! My boyfriend and I watched this together, and it was fun to talk about our differing reactions afterward ( he liked it too, but related differently to the characters.) Truly good, vs. adolescent, humor. Very timely.

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George Clooney leads the way in a modern day version of job obsolecence, the professional world in the Great Recession, and a strange romance with the feel of harsh reality.

I'm kinda surprised no one has written a review yet, but here we go.

George Clooney's job is firing people. He works for a company which constructs informational packets for professional employees who are being letgo, and his job is to tell the people that they're leaving so that the person's actual boss doesn't have to (Sound familiar to anyone?). The weird thing is, he's the best at it (Strange that their could be a best), and he loves the job... But not because he gets to fire people, but because it indulges his desire to be apart from everyone else. He spends most of his time on a plane going from one firing to the next, only ever going home to his apartment on a rare occassion, and that's how he likes it.

All that changes when fresh-faced college grad Anna Kendrick shows up with a way to revolutionize the company: Fire the people over webcam! Save on travel expenses and the people still get fired. Clooney isn't having any part of it though and sets out on his mission to prove that face-to-face contact is essential with Kendrick in tow.

One reason Clooney doesn't want his lifestyle to end is his recent relationship developing with Vera Farmiga, another jetsetter who finds his big ego sexy because it's so similar to hers. Clooney, the utter individualist, becomes attached to her and they meet up whenever possible for drinks in the airport longue and, flight schedules allowing, a night in the sack.

I don't want to give anything about how these charcters develope away, but they all play very well off of each other.

And the characters aren't the only highlight, this also gives the viewer a look at the harsh realities of the current state of professional America: Once packed corporate offices reduce to scattered cubicles and a receptionist sitting at a desk that looks more like a lifeboat in a sea of blue carpetting was probably the most poignant for me. Kendrick's idea and Clooney's rejection of it also shows two sides of corporate America: the people who are up at the top making decisions with little experience doing the actual work, and the people who DO the work feeling that those people are idiots who don't understand the job at all.

If you've ever worked for a corporation you'll be able to relate to this movie in one way or another. Even if you haven't, if you like George Clooney you'll love this movie as he's just as much Clooney as he always is.

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interesting book

i m glad to read this book,n i will purchase this book in future.i develope huge knowledge .

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The best DVD in a long time!

With two young children we have very little time for adult movies. Up in the air is a very moving movie, while at the same time very funny.

Although I haven't been laid off, the way George Clooney does it to people all over the country is very sad. The reaction of the people that loose their jobs is no less than gut wrenching. Be sure you understand, there are some very hilarious parts also. It's a great picture about a very lonely man that falls in love, and then gets burned in love! This is one of the best parts I've scene George Clooney in.

Be sure to check out the commentary and deleted scenes.

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A good story!

When I refer to "Up in the Air" as a good story - this is a very high complement. I believe that good stories are what we are missing in the theaters today. I long for good - well told, well acted - stories. And that is what I got with this movie.
The premise, people making a living of firing people, takes one off guard at first. Clooney's character seems a little jaded. Then a new upstart suggests that they start firing people remotely. Clooney then makes it his job to show the young woman how important it is to deal directly with people at their most vulnerable. There is also another story line about his romantic life that has a good twist. I would recommend this to anyone - especially someone that likes a good story.

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Not bad for a romance movie

While I'm not a big fan of romance movies, this movie was funny enough to keep me entertained. Being full of Clooney's character's humorous antics helped keep this movie from being a sappy waste of time. Unlike most of the drivel that passes for a movie in the catagory (romance), this movie moved along at a nice pace. Bateman was his usual bland self in this movie. Clooney on the other hand was very funny. I haven't enjoyed a performance by Clooney this much since O Brother, Where Art Though.

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Entertaining, but something is missing

"Up in the Air" had all the ingredients to be a great film: accomplished director and writer, talented actors, a clever and timely topic. And yet something feels amiss in this film, as though it came so close to the mark but just didn't quite make it. Also, for all the research they put into it, there are a lot of inaccuracies, such as sleeper seats in multiple scenes which are only on International and flights to Hawaii-this bothered me. The entire film is a shameless plug for American Airlines and Hilton...

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