Stop us if this movie description sounds familiar. The main character is a charming man (played by a dashing movie star) whose skill is his way with words, but his unpopular vocation leads him to a life with few, if any, attachments. The generally witty script features plenty of voiceovers as the main character learns a little bit about the ups and downs of letting people get close to him. Jason Reitman directs, based off his own adaptation of a novel. “Thank You for Smoking,” you say? Well, thank you for playing, but the correct answer is “Up in the Air,” scheduled to be released late this year.
Reitman heads back into corporate America territory again (obviously), and the opening employs an animated credits sequence (hello, “Juno”) and that smarmy and affected voice-over tone, this time fetishizing frequent-flyer culture via “Fight Club”s “single-serving friend” dialogue only more contrived. Still, the sharply-written script has undeniable humor. It’s too pleased-with-itself cleverness threatens to annoy, but much like “Juno,” once the world is established and the story finds it rhythm, it eases into a soulful and very human place.
George Clooney is the lead, playing Ryan Bingham, a man who fires people for a living. His company is hired by other companies to handle the odious task of letting people go. Part of the job requires traveling all across the country, and as such, Bingham has become the consummate business traveler — like the slick, heavyweight champion of air travel. He technically lives in Omaha, but his preferred habitat is the road and the skies. He is the ne plus ultra of packing, proficiency and economy.
The ultimate lone wolf, Bingham takes self-centeredness to a new level, barely acknowledging the outside world exists and living in his platinum-level frequent-flyer status. He can’t remember the last time he’s seen his family, and refuses to do even the littlest thing to help out for his sister’s wedding. If he does have a goal in life, it is to reach the coveted 5 million frequent flyer miles, with the attendant special platinum elite card and visit from the airline’s CEO.
But as he’s nearly at the mythical number, an upstart new co-worker, Natalie Keener (played by Anna Kendrick, who was in “Rocket Science,” “Twilight,” and is in the upcoming “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”) develops a system of firing people over the Internet, via video chat, virtually grounding Bingham and his ilk (pun intended). But the suave operator protests to his bosses — who love him — and he is given the chance at one last go-round, as a mentor to Keener, showing her the ropes of how to how to gently break it to someone that they’re now out of a job. It sounds simple, but Bingham has his program locked down to a science and makes it a work of art. He understands, no knows, the exact human responses and how to counter them with the gilded “termination packet.” His firing techniques are like psychological ballet and jiu jitsu.
Bingham despises Keener, her callow new computerized proposal, and pretty much everything she stands for at first. But over the course of their bumpy and contentious road trip they eventually begin to bond. And in a refreshing change of pace for Hollywood, Reitman does us the courtesy of sparing us the normal subplot of “older man creepily hitting on his protégé as outside relationships fall apart.”
Meanwhile, Bingham (an avowed bachelor, and gee, the Clooney casting just gets harder and harder to see, huh?) is in the early throes of a romance with Alex (Vera Farmiga) a fellow business traveler who seems to be the perfect female counterpart. She’s terse, economic, and doesn’t fuck around. She’s straight-up, animalistic and is Clooney’s equal when it comes to traveling efficiently and reveling in the perks of the frequent traveler. At one point Bingham half jokes, “I love you?” when Alex starts rattling off the benefits and disadvantages of the programs offered by various car rental companies. It’s this kind of attitude that gives him an erection and puts him over the moon.
As their quippy and entertaining fuck-buddy relationship evolves into something more serious, it forces Bingham to do some soul-searching and re-evaluation of his priorities. Perhaps it, along with mentoring Natalie and reconnecting with his sisters, even humanizes him.
The story is essentially one of a hollow man who eventually recognizes he has a soul. Not that different from ‘Smoking’ perhaps, but still an enjoyable ride, nonetheless.
It may sound off, but while the script for “Up in the Air” is generally more upbeat than Reitman’s last effort, it may actually end up being a darker comedy. It will be interesting to see how the movie plays across the country as the many depictions of firings will no doubt hit close to home for many people. Will they be charmed by Clooney’s delicately-handled mass executions or will they find Natalie’s brutal methods insensitive?
Clooney is a natural fit, Reitman’s fast-talking Bingham is right in his wheelhouse. The role may not be much of a stretch, but if Aaron Eckhart could generate awards buzz (including a Golden Globe nomination), there’s no reason Clooney couldn’t be sniffing some hardware, when all is said and done. Reitman has also created some intriguing female supporting characters with actual depth. Granted, they aren’t the most original of characters, but they are made out to be anything but eye candy. – Jared Weiss