Up In The Air: A Terminally 'Good' Movie

Any movie that can pull off a cameo from Young M.C. (BUST A MOVE!) is bound to be a good movie. Up In The Air is that good movie. (And yes, it really does house an appearance from Young M.C.) I'm no member of The Academy, so I'm not exactly sure WHY Up In The Air has earned so many Oscar nominations, but it was indeed a touching and poignant film. Oh, and one more thing. I have to confess that I'm not so big on the Clooney. Not so much. No. 'Haven't really been a big fan of his work since he filled the shoes of Dr. Doug Ross on ER. He's just another Irishman. Who looks like most of my cousins. Father's side. Having said that, I enjoyed George Clooney as Ryan Bingham.

Ryan Bingham, a terminal bachelor living in endless airport terminals, is likely not much of a "departure" for the chronic single guy, Clooney, but perhaps that's what pushes Clooney's perfomance forward. Ryan Bingham is a frequent flyer mile junkie who travels the country as a "termination specialist," who fires people for a living and goes out of his way to lead an uncluttered, detached existence. An existence that balances on the proverbial edge when his company seeks to cut all company travel in favor of a live video feed firing system developed by Bingham's young, idealistic co-worker, Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick).

The journey to save his job is long, dirtied and burdened with messy people that Ryan would rather not be weighing his "backpack" down with... sisters and a casual love interest, Alex (Vera Faminga), turned utterly and hopelessly complicated in a move that not only completely blindsides Ryan Bingham, but the audience as well. Bingham's character arc is better defined as a character "almost," because the precipice of change leads Ryan right back to the American Airlines cabin he boasts as "home." The films hosts characters whose lives are remarkably all Up In The Air, with everyone making a purposeful landing minus Mr. Bingham.

Once more, I don't know the checklist of components for Oscar Worthy, but Up In The Air is still a film worth its hour and forty minutes. It speaks to those still working to stay ahead of a rocky economy and those of us who find ourselves in those awkward transition periods that tend to make or break us. To quote Clooney as Bingham in full-on fire speak, "Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it's because they sat there [firing chair] that they were able to do it." If you have the opportunity to catch Up In The Air before it blows out of the theaters completely, do it. Jason Reitman probably needs another Bentley or something.

Up In The Air Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor, George Clooney; Supporting Actress, Vera Farminga and Anna Kendrick; Director, Jason Reitman; and Best Adapted Screenplay.