By Chris Cummins
chief photographer - Glow Imagery
I love movies like this. The late film critic Gene Siskel once asked this question, “Is this film as interesting as a documentary of the actors having lunch?”
“Up in the Air” is that interesting and more. This 2009 film, norminated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, stars George Clooney, as Ryan Bingham, a man who’s job it is to fly across the country more than two thirds of the year and fire people. Boy does he fire a lot of people.
Our lives influence our careers and vice versa. Undoubtedly both happen and in the case of Bingham he has created a life devoid of meaningful contact and real relationships. We learn early in the film this impersonal, unconnected reality is Bingham’s preferred way of life, personally and professionally. For Bingham, the risks of caring for someone else far outweigh the benefits.
Bingham’s world is artificial, we are shown a montage of Bingham effortlessly and with almost Fred Astaire choreography gliding through his check in, security pass through and boarding. It provides him a peace he enjoys.
This impersonal world of airports, hotels and rental cars is removed from normal life. Such anesthesia to the lives’ of others enables Bingham to do an abnormal job. Bingham has a truly awful job. The film opens with a sequence of terminations in which all we see are the various reactions of employees after they hear the news from Bingham. None of the fired employees know who he is, many ask “Who are you?”
Clooney’s Bingham would be an unlikable fellow but unlikable is relative especially when you consider his boss played by Jason Bateman and the undignified and spineless executives who hire his company to fire employees they have worked alongside and personally known for years. Despite his job’s requirements Bingham in a few scenes we see Bingham with an ability and willingness to challenge people to rethink how they think of themselves and their abilities at this sudden and awful crisis he is delivering to them. There is a company message Bingham uses about empires and huge successes springing forth from othes who have had such hardships. It can feel insincere the more it is mentioned but that doesn’t change the fact that happens to be true.
Early in the film we are introduced to Natalie Keener a fresh out of college newbie to the world of terminations who has caught the eye of Craig Gregory, Bingham’s boss. She has set the company on it’s ear by suggesting that the terminations, usually done in person by people like Bingham, can be done without all the pesky expense of travel simply by using webcams.
This rattles Bingham, a man who is hired by others to do the unpleasant deed yet Bingham can’t see the logic in making the job even less unpleasant via Skype. Bingham reluctantly is required to bring along Keener to show her the ropes of termination.
Throughout the film, Keener, played by Anna Kendrick, wants to do a good job of telling other people about the end of their jobs. We see she is tough and smart but awfully clueless. She can never fully convince herself of what her mentor has convinced himself: that to really be comfortable with the role of terminating other’s means of self worth, one must treat life with a great deal of cool distance.
Early in the film Bingham has a dalliance with an attractive fellow traveler named Alex, played by Vera Farmiga. She’s clearly attracted to elite status and is intrigued by Bingham’s life without strings attached. They agree to make their get togethers a regular thing. Has there ever been a more futile concept as friends with benefits? Or in this case co-travelers with benefits? Bingham’s carefully constructed life of isolation and no personal commitments is a defense for him, but the more proud and certain we all are about such things the more likely life will find a way to tear those defenses down. Bingham can be no different.
In the film’s second act, Bingham is forced to help his family when his sister’s wedding may be ruined by cold feet from the groom played by Danny McBride. It is a powerful scene with the reluctant groom. Bingham, the man who has resisted all manners of friendship and love for most of his life is forced to persuade the groom why committing to others is so essential to life. In this scene, we see Bingham trying to convince another the importance of not making the choices Bingham has made and in the process Bingham seems to convince himself a life shared with others is truly worthwhile.
The music is beautiful, the acting is wonderful. There are several cameos by many actors, many of whom playing newly “not available” employees that are forceful performances.
The film is directed by Jason Reitman whose other films include the wonderful “Juno” and “Thank You For Smoking” among others. Reitman brings forward layers to this story that are at once very global and topical in terms of the recession and job losses but covers the topic in a way that brings home what work means to our self worth. The film suggests many things - all the great ones do - but among the most moving question is if the world is this arbitrary, disloyal and coarse, how can it possibly be endured alone?
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I also really liked this movie. It was full of twist that made you think about the situation. It also had great humor throughout the film. I would recommend this film to anyone who loves a good chick flick.
I love George Clooney, and I’ll generally see anything that he stars in, so I’ll definitely be seeing this movie too!
What more can you ask for than great music and great acting?
I never would have even looked at this movie before. I love the trailer - he’s definitely a hell of an actor. I’m going to have to see this now! Thanks for the recommendation and review. It looks worthwhile!