UP IN THE AIR

Too many films today follow formulas. Boys and girls fall in love, the hero always defeats the bad guy, and everyone lives happily ever after. Recent megablockbusters like Avatar, which follow the formula perfectly, demonstrate exactly why those films continue to be made – they’re profitable.

Given that trend in Hollywood, it’s exhilarating to see a film like Up In The Air show up and (except for one moment late in the film) shatter the stereotypical Hollywood formula bottle all over the floor. George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a man who flies nonstop around the country firing people. His job, essentially, requires him to remain impersonal, free of attachments, and very organized. His meticulous, clockwork lifestyle is thrown a loop by the new young office hotshot Natalie (Anna Kendrick), who threatens Ryan’s job by installing a video-conference firing system, thereby removing the personal touch Ryan has honed over the years. Even worse, Ryan meets a vibrant female version of himself named Alex (Vera Farmiga), and his budding emotions become the very distraction he has carefully walled-off.

That description sounds like the typical Hollywood indie formula, but writer/director Jason Reitman (with Sheldon Turner) have crafted one of the best screenplays of the year. It is filled with realistic and interesting characters, all of whom have believable dialogue. The story does not follow the ordinary, but veers off into interesting narrative and emotional territories. Best of all are the adult relationships here, a refreshing change from the teenaged romances constantly glutting the multiplex. Here, adults have thoughtful, complex interactions about a vast variety of subjects. How did this art of communication become so lost that its re-emergence is more spectacular than $400 million in special effects?

Never one of my favorite actors, George Clooney is superb as Ryan. In the past, Clooney has always seemed just on the verge of smirking his way through every role, but here that slight smile of his masks certain pains in subtle ways. Better yet, Clooney’s smooth delivery and easy charm sell this slightly despicable character, making his arc throughout the film very touching. Clooney’s charisma is matched note for note by Vera Farmiga, who really oozes a mature sexiness as one of Ryan’s love interests; hers is one of the sexiest older female performances in years. Kendrick is good in her role as the young prodigy, although the role is not as engaging, and her abrasiveness wears a little thin. Jason Bateman shows up also in another turn as a smarmy, self-involved slimeball, a performance he perfected a long time ago.

With so many films feeling so similar, it’s a welcomed relief to be engaged emotionally and intellectually by a film that wants to challenge an audience with maturity and intelligence. Not only does Up In The Air ignore the formula, but it does so in spectacular class, wit, and integrity. It is one of the best films of 2009.