I Saw That!

One woman's opinions about popular entertainment.

My Photo
Name:
Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Amateur boxing coach, Christian (but not so heavenly-minded that I'm no earthly good) singer, writer, self-defense advocate, childfree. feminist www.smartwomenboxingtraining.org

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Up In The Air (2009)

Ryan (George Clooney) is a corporate hatchet man, a guy whose job is travel around to companies and fire their long-time employees.  He has lived the majority of his life on planes and in hotels.  He's bored and restless during the few days out of the year that he's not traveling.  Ryan is not really connected to people -- not at work, not to his sisters, and certainly not to the people to whom he hands out pink slips. In walks Natalie (Anna Kendrick), a baby-faced, recent college grad.  She introduces a scheme by where people can be fired via video over computers.  Ryan's boss, Craig (Jason Bateman), thinks Natalie's idea is great, but Ryan is threatened by the possibility of not being able to travel.  After Ryan criticizes Natalie's idea, Craig tells Ryan to take her out on the road with him to get a better feel of the business.  Ryan is not crazy about doing so, but he takes Natalie along. 

Natalie challenges Ryan's attitudes about his isolated way of living.  He doesn't think of himself as a loner, but when he meets another traveling businessperson named Alex (Vera Farmiga), the encounter slowly moves him in another direction.

This is a very good film that explores being disconnected and trying to be connected.  The people who get fired find themselves suddenly cut off from the world of work.  Ryan is not close to his sisters.   Alex gives the impression that she takes life as free and breezy as Ryan does.  Natalie thinks she's grounded in a relationship.

George Clooney has appeared in several films, and he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the film Syriana (2005).  Anna Kendrick was in Twlight (2008).  Jason Bateman was the smarmy Derek on the sitcom "Silver Spoons" (1982-1987).

Labels: ,