"Up in the Air"

ZIP up the carry-on bag, SNAP up the handle, ROLL up to the gate, and V.I.P. through the automatic check-in machine. ZIP. SNAP. ROLL. VIP. "It's a pleasure to see you again Mr. Bingham." In V.I.P. time, Ryan Bingham is "Up in the Air."

This is the structured, comfortable life of Corporate Downsizing Expert and elite frequent flyer Ryan Bingham (brilliantly played by George Clooney.) Bingham happily travels 322 days a year. He is on the verge of achieving his ultimate goal - to win a golden card for earning ten million frequent flyer hours. And he has just met the frequent flyer woman of his dreams, Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) - a sexually adventurous woman with no excess baggage.

After watching his motivational speech in the trailer, I was in no hurry to see the film. (I'll edit it here for brevity.) "Imagine that you're carrying a back pack...Pack it with all the stuff in your life...How much does your life weigh?...Now fill it with people...Feel the weight of that bag. Make no mistake, your relationships are the heaviest components in your life." What has become of our country when a Corporate Downsizing Expert is considered a motivational speaker?! Our hero is a successful jerk who can't be bothered with people.


I opted for another movie on Christmas Day, but I couldn't help noticing that "Up in the Air" was sold out. Later, I looked it up on-line and found out that it was popping up on some best films lists. What did these people know that I didn't? Was it George Clooney's smile?

I saw it the next day. I was delighted to discover that "Up in the Air" was a charming, witty, and ultimately poignant film in the tradition of Prestin Sturge's smart comedies. Kudos to director/co-writer Jason Reitman ("Juno," "Thank You for Smoking"), co-writer Sheldon Turner, and an award winning ensemble cast.

Bingham flies from city to city firing unsuspecting corporate employees. He handles his job with the necessary objectivity while treating his victims with as much dignity as he can muster. He gives them a package that includes their severance benefits and a plan for reclaiming their unrealized dreams. No doubt it is a great comfort to get "up and away" from it all.

Bingham is in danger of being grounded when an Ivy League graduate Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) develops a plan to save travel costs by firing people via video conferencing. Bingham's comfortable routine is challenged when he is forced to take Natalie on the road to show her the ropes. She observes, "You have set up a way of life that makes it impossible for you to have any kind of human connection." I found myself rooting for this self-centered man to finally grow and learn how to connect with other people.

"Up in the Air" reminds us that in these difficult times, we need to come down to earth and find strength in our connections with others. One thumb way "Up in the Air."

Movie blessings!
Jana Segal
www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com

"Juno"

by guest reviewer Gary Ray

One Liner Review

If you’ve seen the trailer for Juno and decided that it’s
not for you, please read on: I’d like to change your mind.
I thought the same thing when I saw the trailer: here we
go again, another “quirky” movie peopled with characters
who’d never do or say half the things they door say and
with a lead character that spouts smart-alecky remarks
that no one could possibly dream up that didn’t have a
week to ponder them.

Then I saw the movie.  Arms folded.  Third row.  In
the first several scenes, my worst fears had come
true— yes, the film was exactly like the trailer.
Then, bit by bit, scene by scene, the story began to
surprise me.  My arms unfolded.  I relaxed. I laughed.
The characters were real.  And the acting— superb.
I know that lead Ellen Page is getting the lion’s share
of the praise (she was the only one nominated for an
Independent Spirit Award), but the rest of the ensemble
possibly give stronger performances than she does.
Michael Cera is astonishingly natural (and understatedly
funny). And one thing I love about the screenplay is
the relationship between him and his baby-mama Juno:
they’re just friends.  They had sex once.  But the script
doesn’t dwell on any “what are we gonna do!” madness.

And then there are Juno’s parents played by Allison
Janney (The West Wing)and J. K. Simmons (he plays Peter
Parker’s editor at the newspaper in the Spiderman movies)
who give stellar performances. And, finally— if I can
think of another superlative—there is Jennifer Garner and
Jason Bateman, who steal the show: both magnificent. It’s
the Garner storyline in particular that, in the final
analysis, won me over on Juno.

As with all great movies, it’s not just the beating of
one single note: but an array of subplots and minor
characters whose lives are affected by the lead
character’s trajectory that make for an ideal movie
experience.  We see how Juno is affecting so many
people’s lives. And, in her separate relationships
with the Garner and Bateman characters, we see an
evolution in her understanding of human nature. And
again, how many movies about teen pregnancy do you know
that aren’t about what a big, dumb mistake it is.
Juno is practically matter-of-fact about the pregnancy
itself. Instead it’s about the world we live in.  Its
about how less screwed up Juno is in light of how more
screwed up the adults are around her. And it’s about
how everything can be okay, no matter how bleak the
outlook.

OSCAR UPDATE: Juno was nominated for Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actress and Best Screenplay. Diablo Cody won a well deserved Best Screenplay Oscar for her witty and honest writing in Juno. She gave a moving acceptance speech thanking her amazing director (Jason Reitman), lead actress (Ellen Page), and her mom for "accepting me just the way I am."