Up in the Air (2009)

Why I saw it: This film has won several awards and now Oscar's buzzing. Call me curious, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

The verdict: 8 out of 10/A-

Too often, films ignore reality so they can offer the audience a sugar-coated, "goes-down-easy" ending that caters to the fictional idea that everything always works out. Films providing these gift wrapped endings often miss the opportunity to capture the beauty in the trial and error of life experiences. An honest film sticks with you and goes a lot further than one that easily fits all the pieces together. Up in the Air is a film that doesn't gloss over the difficulty in maintaining worthwhile relationships, but still emphasizes that these relationships feed the soul and, in large part, define who you are.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) works for the Career Transition Corporation. He spends 320+ days a year flying the nation, and firing employees when their bosses don't have the guts to do it. Having worked 20+ years for the company, the constant travel, isolation and lack of genuine human interaction has become Bingham's norm and is a life he is very comfortable with. So comfortable and confident in his "life choice", Bingham occasionally speaks at seminars where he espouses that relationships and obligations to others only weigh you down. Passing time at a hotel bar one evening, Bingham crosses paths with Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), a fellow career traveler. Amidst conversation and comparisons of Frequent Flyer and Preferred Guest accounts, the two establish a connection, share the night, and book their next meeting before parting ways. For Bingham, all is as it should be until he meets Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), a recent college graduate and go-getter hired on at CTC several months earlier. Since starting with CTC, Natalie has designed a video-based program that allows firings to be done from one location via a live video feed, eliminating the need for constant travel. Realizing the threat to his existence, Bingham raises hell, but ends up being tasked with taking Natalie along for his last firing tour before being permanently grounded in Omaha, Neb. As the story progresses, the new and old people in Bingham's life force him to confront his loneliness and the isolationist philosophy he calls a "life choice" is challenged.

Up in the Air examines the complexities of relationships - romantic, familial, and work related - with the current reality of increased unemployment serving as a backdrop against which the story is played. Bingham doesn't form relationships. He's never been married and keeps arms-distance from his family, tolerating the occasional phone call from his oldest sister. He ably fires multiple people on a daily basis without batting an eye or mustering much sympathy. What he does is a job, and he chooses to ignore the fact that he significantly alters the courses of these people's lives, initially for the worse. Bingham's emotional bereavement is seen by his capability to endure this daily grind for 20+ years. His emotional IQ is starkly contrasted by Natalie's, who quickly becomes weary of the firings, and doesn't understand how Bingham can only see each person as a name to mark off a list.

However, the film provides well-staged opportunities for Bingham to experience the pros and cons of creating relationships. In Alex, Bingham finds a kindred spirit and begins to understand why people work so hard to find a romantic partner in life. In Natalie, Bingham is forced to reconcile the naivety of youth with the excitement for life that comes with it. In one of the film's more impacting scenes, he gets the chance to reconnect with his sisters at the youngest's wedding. The couple, far more simple-minded than Bingham - a reason he left home and never looked back - exude a passion for each other that Bingham quietly desires. These scenes are so realistically written and acted that a viewer can't help but to do a little personal introspection.

Up in the Air also broadly tackles the notably decreased value of human interaction that is resulting from our expanding technology and overactive lifestyles. In a day and age where people e-mail consistently, apply for jobs online, text more than they talk, and update friends, family and strangers via Facebook statuses and tweets, the film reveals this new form of communication as damaging to the human condition and pleads for us to start turning back to a time when honest face-to-face interaction and respect for your fellow man had its worth.

The performances from the three leads do lend a hefty credibility to the film's premise. As is often noted with Clooney, his performance here contains his usual "Clooneyisms:" a casual smooth-talker with a monotone range. Still, Clooney does well with Bingham, creating a character who is superficially hardened, but likable and relatable at his core. Farmiga brings a subtle charm to her character and she instantly becomes the perfect woman for Bingham. Her performance contains early nuances that, in consideration of her character development, show she is an actress with depth. Kendrick ably takes on the difficult challenge of creating a character who is equal parts real and cartoon, but believable the entire time. Natalie is energetic and uptight at the same time and Kendrick's performance is flawless. All three leads have been nominated to Best Actor/Actress categories, and while all gave strong performances, Kendrick is most deserving of the honor.

The film is also supported by a solid secondary cast. Jason Bateman fans will find his dry-style humor on full display here, and J.K. Simmons, again, makes a small role one of the most memorable. It is also interesting to note that many of the fired employees in the film are not actors, but people who had recently been laid off. They were asked to say to the camera what they had wanted to say to their bosses upon being fired. It turns out to be an effective method and many of these John and Jane Does elicit strong emotion.

Up in the Air is a Best Picture contender this year, and for good reason. It is subtle, funny, dark, emotional, depressing, uplifting, refreshing, and honest. It is slow at times, but this is not detrimental to the experience as the film is generally minimalist in its approach. Bingham's new journey brings him tears and joy. But, that's life and Up in the Air doesn't shy away from that fact. It is this honesty that makes the film one that sticks with you and forces you to appreciate the worthwhile relationships in your life.