Up in the air- Review

Michael Jordan plays ball. Charles Manson kills people. Jay Leno talks. And Jason Reitman makes intelligent movies.

After giving us movies like “Thank You for Smoking” and “Juno”, 32 year old Jason Reitman has crafted another Masterpiece “Up in the Air”.

George Clooney (Ryan Bingham) makes a living by flying across America for 320 days in a year firing employees for companies that don’t have the courage to do it themselves. Trust me-Americans are crazy, they take outsourcing very seriously. During recession, companies which specialize in “Firing” employees thrive. This is the perfect example for disguised unemployment.

The goal in Clooney’s life is to be free from all types of commitment and be the 7th person to achieve 10 million frequent flyer miles (btw moon is just 250,000 miles away from earth). All he needs to do is travel across the country and fire people. He is an expert in adding human touch to the firing process and also gets into a “casual relationship” with another frequent flyer Vera Farmiga (Alex). His dreams are shattered and he is grounded when newbie Anna Kendrick (Natalie Keener) introduces online firing process, which reduces the total travel cost by 85%. To prove her wrong, Clooney has to travel with Anna to introduce her to his line of work. The result is a funny and a satirical journey across the landscape of Miami, Vegas, Omaha and California into the lives of the 3 protagonists. Believe you me; Aerial view of America is stunning.

With the unemployment rate hitting the roof in US, the timing could not be more perfect for the release of the movie. Up in the Air is a reality check of the current times. Many of us would surely relate to the characters and the story. Jason Reitman does an incredible job of bringing in the satire and the funny moments to keep you engaged throughout the movie. Though the first half is fast paced with lots of funny moments, second half is slow and satirical at its best. It is a priceless moment when Anna’s (brainchild behind online firing) is dumped by her boyfriend through a text message.

Vera Farmiga’s performance is very seductive (Experience gained from “The Departed” has definitely worked in her favour). Anna plays her part to the perfection and doesnot give you the idea that she is a supporting character in the plot. But the movie belongs completely to Clooney. He plays the role of the “Terminator” and as a Trainer motivating people to stay away from commitment with lots of ease. Clooney’s flawless performance and Reitman's wonderful screenplay provide an intelligent satirical comedy and a laughter riot. If you don't laugh out loud, your sense of humor has become a casualty of nonsensical Hindi movies. If the movie doesnot gain mainstream appeal because of its intelligence level, it would be because MNIK is still running at the theaters.

I am yet to recover from the hangover of stupendous performances, great direction and a crisp script. If I had the power to fire people, 2 of them top my list, Product Head (in a finance company) who is clueless about preparing a Business Plan and a Risk Manager (in a Bank) who is a “Liability” to the Retail loan portfolio, but is surviving because of her “Wholesome Assets” (These are real people and are making more money than I do)

I am happy I still have my job and can afford to watch the movie again. I recommend this movie to all salaried professionals. Try and watch this with your boss, its definitely worth the effort.