Each aspect could be defined as special. from performances and fine chemistry between the characters of Vera Farmiga and George Clooney, to the status of simple, convincing and cruel for its deep honesty, story about life. a film about solitude. and need of the other. and prices of succes. and freedom. and love. and about different levels of reality. short, a great movie.

This was an 8 until the slightly Up In The Air ending!Good screenplay from a book I haven't read (and never will). Generally well paced but a few draggy moments (why oh why do they do the montage with music?) where, perhaps, another eye might have spotted the slowness - writer/director syndrome.Good acting from the leads. Who doesn't love George Clooney? Vera Farmiga is superb as the femme fatale and Anna Kendrick is always wonderful.So it was probably the book that wimped out on a definitive ending although perhaps the screenplay didn't enforce the impression of how life goes on for our protagonist. Just sometimes it's really nice to know, after spending 1:45 minutes of your life on a movie.Otherwise a very watchable movie with good(ish) script and dialogue. Just be prepared to read a bit into the scenario to find an ending.

(Originally reviewed: Late December 2016) Up in the Air is one of those films that gets rave reviews, a ton of Oscar nominations and turns out to be nothing more than good entertainment, and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way, because it was at least fairly well made and had its comedic moments. Clooney gives probably the best performance in the picture playing a confident ladies man with suave (basically himself). Although Anna Kendrick cuts in as a close second, as a sweet, emotionally unstable but funny young lady.Reitman's script could have been a lot better though, as there isn't a lot to laugh at, I think it works more as a light hearted drama with a few unexpected but pleasant comedic touches. I have also got to mention Jason Bateman who was extremely irritating and then as the film progresses borderline annoying. Overall though I enjoyed the picture, its dramatic moments are at times excellent and it's supporting cast on point which features Vera Farmiga, Danny McBride, Sam Elliot and especially a hilarious cameo involving Zack Galifinakis. Despite my issues regarding how I think it doesn't fully succeed as a comedy, I did enjoy Up in the Air and was impressed how they didn't go for the clichéd Hollywood ending.

Ask most people what they would do with an unexpected sum of money, and this answer will likely pop up quite a bit: travel the world. Well, Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) gets to do exactly that...for his job.Bingham, while "up in the air" 322 days out of the year, makes a living by firing people at the request of major corporations who would rather not do the dirty deed themselves. He seems to live a blissfully happy life, unburdened by the responsibilities of home & family, and enjoys his routine immensely. Until, that is, he meets someone just like him...Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga). Throw in spunky new sidekick Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), who sets out to change the way he does business, and Bingham is forced to re-evaluate all of life's priorities.What really makes this film work is, much like Gran Torino, the unbiased nature of the storytelling (making it the exact opposite of a film like Avatar). Viewers are treated to two completely different sorts of life (both on the road and settling down at home) with all the pros and cons included, and must (through Bingham) come to their own conclusion about which life is more satisfactory.The acting is also terrific, with Clooney doing what he's done for years and finding a good thespian match in Farmiga. However, it truly is young Kendrick who nearly steals the show with her energetic performance. Her character superbly represents the thoughts and feelings going through the heads/hearts of the viewers, questioning Bingham on nearly ever decision he makes. I don't say this too often about young people in the film business, but the sky is the limit for this woman based on this incredible performance.Finally, a little anecdote about why this movie may touch you as it did me:When I was five years old, my father played a little trick on me. He said he had a "magic pill" (a common vitamin, of course!) that would make me stay "five forever", allowing me to go to school and play with my toys ad infinitum. I took the bait hook, line, and sinker, but only after swallowing the pill were the consequences brought to my attention, such as seeing all my little friends grow up, always having to take naps, etc. After a bit of contemplation, I then chose the "antidote" to set things right again.Filmmaker Jason Reitman operates under the same concept with "Up in the Air". We are first given a glance into the seemingly wonderful life of the man on the road, but only upon deeper introspection do we discover the true nature of his often lonely existence. What makes things interesting, of course, is the fact that his decision is much more meaningful than from some five year old.Thus, I strongly recommend this to film fans of any and all kinds for its deep story and incredible acting. If, say, Avatar turned you off by its overly black-and-white themes, this is the antithesis.