UP IN THE AIR [2009] review
January 3, 2010 · Print This Article
It has been awhile since I laughed out loud that much in a movie theater, but such is the appeal of the humor in UP IN THE AIR for me. It was exactly my sense of humor mixed with some well used strong language that often caused me to be one of the only people in the theater to laugh. This was not the first time such a thing happened. This movie is not all laughs as the third act takes a decidedly serious tone that is not all that expected, but was mostly welcome.
The first half of the movie flies by with laughs coming in steady stream as we enjoy the free life George Clooney lives as a frequent flyer whose job is as what I would describe as a graceful fire-er. Clooney seems to really like this role as he plays it seemingly effortlessly and with all his natural charisma. He plays a person doing exactly what they like doing as they should–master of their environment not hung up on anything and constantly on the move because that’s the way to maximize one’s freedom.
Of course the movie cannot just continue on this unabated freedom streak. The first speed bump comes in the form of a perky new employee with a great idea in theory, but Clooney takes her on the road for a heavy dose of reality. In the meantime Clooney has perhaps met a kindred spirit who flies often and knows the ropes for smooth air travel as well as he does. They keep their relationship like their day jobs, in transit.
The movie bogs down slightly when dealing with Clooney’s sister’s wedding, and then the laughs stop and seriousness takes over for awhile.
The dialogue is outstanding, very sharp and well paced. The actors deliver it perfectly. Really, really great laughs for me in this movie. Lots of HA! ‘s were loudly exclaimed.
This is not even close to the best movie of the year as major awards show buzz seems to be pointing towards at this moment, but it is the best comedy of 2009 no doubt.
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