'Up in the Air'

'Up In The Air' did not look like my sort of film. Not at all. I always find George Clooney a little too generically charming to really ever convince me (I just don't trust someone who smiles that much), and I was underwhelmed by the concept, but it had been getting consistently good reviews, and my boyfriend's mother wanted to go see it for her birthday. So on a rainy January evening, we went to our local independent cinema to watch it.

I was surprised. 'Up in the Air' is on some level a pretty generic film, starting with some of the key tropes of the romantic comedy (the conflict-inducing concept, the meet-cute, the homebrew family wedding, the sweet moral message) but it is so much more. Ryan Bingham, a 'career transition counsellor' who flies around, firing people for a living, does a horrible job, but isn't a horrible person in need of a change, just a human being with his flaws more pronounced than most by his slavish adherence to the lifestyle that supports them. The woman he falls for, who is in her words '...yourself with a vagina', seems like his perfect girl, but paradoxically, he has no desire to settle down. There are zingy lines, tearful revelations, romantic cues, and a wonderful thread of genuine human sympathy that runs through 'Up in the Air', but the film is more complex even than the good romantic comedy/drama it pretends to be, reflecting on itself and flat-out refusing to give easy answers or cliched moments that make everything turn out all right. The ending is ambiguous, and though there are moments of joy, it never pretends that everyone is going to live happily ever after. The final montage is intercut with interviews Jason Reitner made with people who had been made redundant, giving genuine messages of grief and hope. This film isn't about tying everything up neatly in a bow - it's about opening new avenues, setting people on the right paths, which is what Clooney's character tries to do, despite his cynicism about his company's buzzword-filled talk about the career opportunities of unemployment.

Jason Reitner started writing the script in 2002, but it has been updated with startling efficacy. The hated figure of the 'termination agent' is one which has particular resonance in today's climate of constant fear of redundancy, and so the dilemma of the fired workers is especially poignant, with heartfelt portrayals by the actors. George Clooney as Ryan Bingham and Anna Kendrick as Natalie, a naive up-and-comer in the company, are brilliant: Clooney's charm makes an unpleasant character likeable and Kendrick gives a beautifully observed performance, allowing her to really show what she can do after her supporting role in 'Twilight'. In a "hey, it's that guy" moment, I recognised Vera Farmiga from the Kristin Kreuk and Miranda Richardson 'Snow White', though it is hardly the highlight of her career.

'Up in the Air' is a brilliant bit of film-making, a commentary on a lifestyle and a world that is becoming impossible, woven in with painfully personal stories, subversions of the romantic comedy genre and a thematic exploration of concepts of family, belonging and home. Somehow it never feels preachy or strained, despite its depth. There are flaws: I didn't like Vera Farmiga's character, though she acted well, and therefore found the scenes of her and Bingham's relationship to be a little uninteresting. Also, Bingham's sister's wedding is just on the edge of schmaltzy and is possibly the weakest section for me. It does undermine the conventions of the reluctant groom's pep talk cleverly, but sometimes I do wonder if it's a bit too clever for its own good, not letting us get close enough to the characters to really engage. The exception is Natalie. We see Natalie's flaws and pain so clearly that she easily becomes the most sympathetic character for me. The way they round off her story seems a little convenient, but we need to know that someone is happy, even if we aren't sure about Ryan Bingham.

Definitely worth a watch, even if this is not your usual fare. It doesn't talk down: this is a movie about adults for adults, and it never underestimates. In fact, perhaps it might even provide some warm fuzzy feelings as well as intellectually challenging you.