Sunshine Marie L.

Sanguyo 2008-08163 Applied Psychology 182 August 10, 2013 MOVIE REVIEW (Up In the Air) The Drama-Romance-Comedy movie Up in The Air was another work made by the award-winning movie director of the film Juno (2007) Jason Reitman in 2009. It starred George Clooney (Ryan Bingham), Ana Kendrick (Natalie Keener) and Vera Farmiga (Alex Goran). It won numerous awards including Movie of the Year (AFI Award), Best Screenplay (BAFTA Film Award and Golden Globe), Film Music (BMI Film Music Award) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Austin Film Critics Award, Critics Choice Award and CFCA Award). The film tells about the story of Ryan Bingham who makes a living by firing people for companies who are downsizing. He flies all across the country (USA) and stays in a series of nice hotels. Although his job demands him to be up in the air almost every day, this doesnt bother him, hes thrilled to be the man in a traveling bubble. During a stay at a hotel, he met Alex Goran, a fellow traveler. Theyve spent a night talking about the ins and outs of airlines and hotels and immediately fell into bed; theirs was a mutually agreed no strings attached relationship. When Ryan went back to his office, he met Natalie Keener, a woman who graduated at the top of her class at Cornell University. She introduced the use of technology in their profession to save the company more money and to make the job more easily by the absence of personal contact. Enraged by the thought he would lose his

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beloved lifestyle, he convinced his boss Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman) to take Natalie in a few trips for her to grasp what it is really like firing someone. Up in the Air is one of the best movies that dealt with the inhumanity of the way corporations cut work forces. It is just a worry how in reality, lame company bosses can hire a man like Ryan who, after firing people, looks them in the eye, shakes their hands and makes them think that being fired is not a tragedy, but rather an opportunity. Although in some sense, it does give way for a fresh start, but only if one is open to new possibilities and exploration. This movie also emphasized the need for human connection. It showed how Ryan even after firing hundreds of employees, still remains unbothered by others anguish, still realizes in the end that being alone is not always the best; just like what the movie conveyed, Everybody needs a co-pilot. Clooney amiably portrayed the character that was supposed to be hated for enjoying in others agony but was sympathized because of his deficient life. Farmiga and Kendrick greatly played two contradicting roles. Kendrick being a smart, serious and motivated woman, who chose to chase the boy of her dreams and be the one of the assets of her company while Farmiga, on the other hand, like Clooney, is a wild, chic, free-spirited woman who never takes things seriously,

except her family. Non-actors who played based on their own stories even made the movie more realistic and heart-warming. Overall, this movie is worth watching because it provides a great sense of reality regarding the work force, the importance of family and the make or break of relationships.
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