Up in the Air (2009)

D: Jason Reitman

I remember AO Scott and Michael Phillips arguing about Up in the Air. Scott said the most recent Reitman is a great film that functions wonderfully as a metaphor for life in the 2000s, and in sixty years will be like the Preston Sturges films as a window to our generation. And while Phillips agreed about its greatness, he thought the Sturges thing was a little far fetched.

I'm going to go with the unnamed third option. I agree with Scott that the metaphor is present and works amazingly. George Clooney's character is a poster-child cipher for a life of irresponsibility. His spartan one bedroom coupled with his wallet full of exclusive credit cards illustrate the vapid, transient lifestyle perfectly. And his rise, fall and subsequent redemption chronicle the last decade very well.

But unlike either of the two critics, I don't think the film itself is all that and a bag of chips. There are scenes of brilliance and the actors are all outstanding, especially Vera Farmiga, but to me, the story doesn't holds up on its own. I lost interest in the plot multiple times, and that really upset me. The characters were all well-defined, but what connects them is the chink in the armor.

For me, this is the weakest of Reitman's films so far. I know that sounds like a ridiculous statement, especially with all the Juno hate going around these days, but both Thank You for Smoking and that Ellen Page miscarriage had narratives I could get behind. After Up in the Air successfully establishes Clooney's character, the rest of the plot – the new recruit, the Amelie-esque wedding project, etc. – feels like nothing more than contrivances, blindly leading Clooney's character to his inevitable destiny.

Don't get me wrong, Up in the Air is a good film and certainly worth watching, but next time I'm in the mood for a Reitman film about an ammoral hero, I'll probably go back to Thank You for Smoking.