Movie Review, Up in the Air (2009)
Up in the Air
"You may not always have your job, so make sure it 's not the only thing in your life"
- Eric D. Snider -
"Up in the Air", directed by Jason Reitman, is an uplifting dramedy (which is a mixture of drama and comedy), but it also represents a corporate satire. It actually highlights the bitter society in America, and mocks the way corporate bosses manage employees ' dismissal; more accurately, it displays human fallout over job loss. This kind of movie is not common in the modern Hollywood production - the kind that does not insult our intelligence.
This movie, released in 2009, is very well-timed, as in these times of economic meltdown, one of the main problems in people 's lives is getting laid-off, not knowing what to do next to support their families. This story best displays the uncertainty of today and it carries a message about the value of human connections. However, some argue that it mistakes glibness for wit and charm for irreverence and that it, after a howling good start, runs out of fuel towards the end and is barely able to make it to the terminal with the message intact. Naturally, the opinions are divided.
The story starts with a scene of a man getting packed in a room, which looks like a genuine hotel suite, except it is actually his apartment, but devoid of any warmth. We get acquainted with Rhyan Bingham, the main character, who is taking us on a tour through the life he is leading. Bingham is a, what they call, a "career transition" counselor, a person who crisscrosses the country firing employees when their bosses cannot or will not do the dirty work themselves. He is supposed to, let us say, persuade people to see the positive aspects of career termination. Bingham lives neither home nor away, more like in the middle of "somewhere". He spends more time in transition, at airports and hotels; than at home. Ryan likes the 322 days of the year he spends travelling, with only, what he describes as "43 miserable days at home". The
"You may not always have your job, so make sure it 's not the only thing in your life"
- Eric D. Snider -
"Up in the Air", directed by Jason Reitman, is an uplifting dramedy (which is a mixture of drama and comedy), but it also represents a corporate satire. It actually highlights the bitter society in America, and mocks the way corporate bosses manage employees ' dismissal; more accurately, it displays human fallout over job loss. This kind of movie is not common in the modern Hollywood production - the kind that does not insult our intelligence.
This movie, released in 2009, is very well-timed, as in these times of economic meltdown, one of the main problems in people 's lives is getting laid-off, not knowing what to do next to support their families. This story best displays the uncertainty of today and it carries a message about the value of human connections. However, some argue that it mistakes glibness for wit and charm for irreverence and that it, after a howling good start, runs out of fuel towards the end and is barely able to make it to the terminal with the message intact. Naturally, the opinions are divided.
The story starts with a scene of a man getting packed in a room, which looks like a genuine hotel suite, except it is actually his apartment, but devoid of any warmth. We get acquainted with Rhyan Bingham, the main character, who is taking us on a tour through the life he is leading. Bingham is a, what they call, a "career transition" counselor, a person who crisscrosses the country firing employees when their bosses cannot or will not do the dirty work themselves. He is supposed to, let us say, persuade people to see the positive aspects of career termination. Bingham lives neither home nor away, more like in the middle of "somewhere". He spends more time in transition, at airports and hotels; than at home. Ryan likes the 322 days of the year he spends travelling, with only, what he describes as "43 miserable days at home". The
References: Ebert, R. 2009. _Up in the air_ [online]. Chicago: Chicago Sun-Times. Available from http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091202/REVIEWS/912029999 [Accessed 22 June 2010]. Lane, A., 2009. _Nowhere man_ [online]. New York: The New Yorker. Available from http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2009/12/07/091207crci_cinema_lane [Accessed 21 June 2010]. Sandhy, S. 2010. _Up in the air, review_ [online]. London: Telegraph. Available from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/6989746/Up-In-The-Air-review.html [Accessed 22 June 2010].