[Time for a non-HCR post.]
Saw "Up in the Air" on Sunday and was deeply impressed. There is a lot more weight to it than you might expect and an unusual balance between humor and melancholy.
At the center of the movie, of course, is George Clooney, who is a real movie star but with the soul of a character actor. Clooney looks ridiculously, effortlessly, criminally handsome. He's got that Cary Grant quality -- an easy masculinity, confident of his presence but without any sense of vanity.
Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, the most rootless of characters, a hired gun who specializes in firing people for companies run by people who don't want to be the trigger-men. Bingham is most comfortable on the road, a world of first class flights, Admiral's Club lounges, Hilton Honors suites, and Hertz #1 Club full sized sedans. (This is possibly the most shameless product placement movie in history and yet it sacrifices no artistic integrity in the process.) When not terminating the redundant, Bingham also doubles as an "inspirational" speaker, a kind of glib, low rent Tony Robbins. His ethos is entirely based on having no baggage, literally or figuratively, and avoiding the saps in coach. His ambition in life -- to reach his 10 millionth frequent flier mile with American Airlines.
The few days a year in which Bingham is home in Omaha, he spends in a stunningly non-descript hotel suite, where he has no spouse, significant other, kids, pets, or even pictures on the wall. He is a character who cannot even commit to a color scheme. (Although he is touchingly loyal to his corporate brands of choice.)
Without revealing anything, Bingham meets two women, one professionally and one romantically, and complications ensue. Clooney has terrific chemistry with co-stars Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, both of whom play intelligent, driven, appealing women.
Although in no way an overtly political movie, the view of early 21st Century capitalism portrayed is jaundiced to say the least.
Clooney somehow humanizes this seemingly distant detached character -- under all of his easy charm, Bingham has a kind of knowing sadness that permeates him, which Clooney conveys in very subtle strokes. It's an enjoyable movie, but not necessarily a feel good movie.
If you've seen it or see it, let me know what you thought.
