Up in the Air DVD Review

It’s almost a role that George Clooney was born to play. In Up in the Air, Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizer, a man whose job it is to break the life changing news to people across America that their “positions are no longer available”. Although the story that this script is adapted from was written a few years ago, the current economic environment has lent a new weight to it. Bingham’s home is in the air, chasing a target of air miles that only six other people have ever achieved. He packs like a ninja and is turned on by platinum cards. It’s that particular encounter in which we are introduced to Alex (Vera Farmiga) who is almost a carbon copy of Bingham, at one point uttering the words “Just think of me as you but with a vagina”.

Bingham finds himself developing feelings for her and relationships are not this man’s strong point. Complicating matters for him is the fact that he has a cocky new colleague in the form of Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), whose determined to introduce a new video conferencing way of firing people. This threatens Bingham’s entire way of life and the sparing between the man who considers it an art form and the woman whose determined to push through change is fantastic. That brings me to the script. Written by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner it develops fantastic characters and is sharp throughout. Reitman, who also directs, is going from strength to strength after the success of Juno.

I honestly can’t recommend this film enough. Clooney is sensational, embodying a man who goes through a sea of change in how he deals with others. I’ve seen it twice now and will probably see it a third time. The closing monologue will stick with me but I won’t quote it here.

Up in the Air is out now on DVD and check out this exclusive interview with Clooney’s co-star Anna Kendrick.