Knee-Jerk Review “Up in the Air”

1. Smart and clever we expected. But we were surprised by how genuinely moving it is.
2. We wouldn’t mind being George Clooney for a day.
3. “It’s just someone who’s lost.” Best line of the movie. Powerful.
4. Brought to you by American Airlines, Hertz, and Hilton. It takes product placement to a whole new level when the products actually form integral parts of a film’s plot.
5. What’s in your backpack?
6. Subtext and theme are what separate good movies from great movies. This one is chock full of both. Case in point are the many mentions of how American Airlines values the loyalty of frequent-flyer George Clooney, which runs completely counter to the abject lack of loyalty shown to the longtime employees his company fires. Capitalism at it worst or best, depending on where you sit.
7. It’s genius to force a character who hates marriage have to try and convince someone to get married.
8. Typically, you’d expect the love interest (Vera Farmiga) to be the one to help our hero change and evolve, but that really comes more from his snotty sidekick (Anna Kendrick).
9. All three lead roles are so meaty, it’s hard to tell which is the most engaging, complex character. It’s no surprise that all three got Oscar nods.
10. Screenwriting 101: just when the hero at last gets everything he thought he wanted, he realizes he no longer wants it.
11. Jason Bateman is a revelation here, all dead-eyed smarm.
12. So many great, sharp observations here about life as a full-time business traveler. (“I’m like my mother. I stereotype.”)
13. Some may disagree, but we loved the slightly ambiguous ending.

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