UP IN THE AIR

Rated R
ART--->**
HEART->*
MIND-->**1/2
FUN--->1/2

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is so accustomed to air travel and its rituals that the airports of the nation have become his home. Never expending more energy than he needs to with people or relationships, he is a master of efficiency. And he has to be, with one of the oddest jobs in corporate America. Ryan is hired by downsizing companies to fly in and do the job of firing their employees for them.

Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) looks younger than she is, but has been brought in by Ryan's boss to streamline their operations and cut costs. She introduces a new method of firing employees via computer kiosk, rendering the travel methods Ryan has mastered obsolete. Convinced that this type of job requires a human element, Ryan showcases Natalie's inexperience to his boss, who then sends her along with him on a few firing trips.

As Ryan shows her the ropes, Natalie tries to break through Ryan's need-no-one exterior. She questions him about his relationship with pretty Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), and his entire detached life's trajectory. Ryan has almost achieved his life long goal of 10 million air miles, so he doesn't budge emotionally until they are grounded and he has the chance to attend his sister's wedding. Faced with the personal struggles of family, he does his best to display small bits of human sensitivity. And his relationship with Alex seems to be blossoming, so there may be hope yet for frequent flier Ryan Bingham.

UP IN THE AIR is the second of Ivan Reitman's films about corporate culture. A master of minutia, he gets every bland detail right. The people, meetings, and locations are all very authentic. Some of the reactions to being fired are actually real; a harsh reminder of our current troubled economic times. Unfortunately, there is little that breaks through the machinery.

The ultimate impression one receives from the film is that life has no point. Relationships are great but they either A) are not what they appear, or B) never last. What we're left with is an amoral philosophy that whatever works for you is the goal.

I'm sure somehow we are meant to have a sense of secular optimism as Ryan, having achieved his air miles, looks up at the arrivals and destinations board at the end. He can fly anywhere he wants to now. We're left with Ryan's voice telling us that as we go on with our little lives surrounded by family and friends, he's flying over us, doing just fine. Ryan hasn't changed, and we've learned nothing new about ourselves.

So in the end, UP IN THE AIR is a mildly depressing treatise on futility that will leave you unmoved and empty. And you don't have to go to the movies to wallow in that. You can just stay in bed.

NOT RECOMMENDED