Art & Entertainment

Up In The Air

An immensely likeable film, yet it leaves you dissatisfied. Like being hungry after a good meal.

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Up In The Air
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Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Danny McBride
Directed by John Reitman
Rating: ***

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Up in the Air starts superbly with varied scenes from the life of a dapper “firing” expert, Ryan Bingham (Clooney), as he flies from one American city to another, giving marching orders to employees of various corporates that have outsourced this significant task to his company. The scenes of him in transit at the airport, talking about how the things people hate about flying make him feel at home, are alone worth the price of the ticket.

Bingham’s is an intriguing life. There’s no loyalty here for relationships, family, nor for the bedsitter-kitchenette home in Omaha where he seems to spend barely 42 days a year. Instead, all the faithfulness is reserved for the many loyalty programmes—of the smart hotels, car renting agencies and the miles clocked on the favourite airline. In one of these journeys, he meets a kindred spirit, Alex (think of me as yourself with a vagina, she says), and a perfect, no-strings-attached relationship develops that’s all about stolen trysts while flying from one city to the next. Meanwhile, this life in the air faces imminent end as a young employee of Ryan’s company shows the effectiveness of online firing.

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The film is very sharp, smart and witty. It unfolds against the backdrop of recession and job cuts but is essentially about individualism and relationships. Bingham is a motivational guru, urging people to pare down life to a backpack of minimum belongings, both material and emotional. The need to simplify life, to shed the excess baggage rings a huge bell, specially with a delectably sexy and persuasive Clooney showing the way. But as he faces the imminent danger of getting grounded in his job, a parallel urge for committing himself in a relationship begins to emerge. And that’s when the film  becomes obvious and sentimental in its articulation of Bingham’s need to belong, specially at his sister’s wedding. It gets rounded off well with the sad, melancholic realisation of the lies underlying the seemingly happy relationships. Bingham, who has been escaping commitment, gets used as an “escape”, a “parenthesis”. Up in the Air is an immensely likeable film yet it leaves you dissatisfied. It’s like being hungry after a good meal.

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High Fives

Bollywood

1. My Name is Khan
2. 3 Idiots
3. Toh Baat Pakki
4. Click
5. Ishqiya

Hollywood

1. Shutter Island
2. Valentine’s Day
3. Avatar
4. Percy Jackson & the Olympians
5. The Wolfman

Country Music

1. Why Don’t we Just Dance (Josh Turner)
2. American Saturday Night (Brad Paisley)
3. The Truth (Jason Aldean)
4. History in the Making (Darius Rucker)
5. That’s How Country Boys Roll (Currington)

Courtesy: Film Information

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