Up In The Air
Started & Finished: 10/14/09
When, by the end of a film, there’s nothing left to really speculate on, what are you supposed to think about? For some reason, I’m left feeling like Up In The Air went in one ear and out the other.
It’s by no means a bad movie— I was attentive throughout, even during some textbook-cheesy moments. The direction was fine, the script was quick and clever, and the acting was good, but it’s not very challenging. Which is fine—I guess I was expecting something a bit deeper. Rather, I wasn’t expecting such a morally straightforward story. It’s really one big cautionary fable about the perils of being a manchild.
I did really enjoy the conclusion of the film, and how that was handled— but only then did writer/director Jason Reitman really bring the drama. It’s also a good example of efficient storytelling, and the sleight of hand required to bring scenes to life (specifically, the act of showing one thing while characters are saying another, and letting the audience read the true meaning of the scene). I’m not sure when Up In The Air will be in wide release, but it feels like it’d be a very enjoyable holiday-break type movie. Easy, funny, relatable, and not too depressing.
