Reitman’s “Up in the Air” Fails to Excite, Surprise

First things first. Whenever I hear of a new film being mentioned in the same sentence as the word “oscar,” I have a tendency to watch the film with a more scrupulous eye. A lot of us do, in fact. To me, the film has to earn the title since the word “oscar” is one which we tend to associate with the best of the best. Many of you purchase a movie ticket knowing that you’re in good hands whenever you hear the critics raving about how oscar-worthy a movie is. For this film, I’ll stick to being a critic. I’ll leave the raving to someone else.

George Clooney in "Up in the Air."

This month’s smorgasbord of happy-go-lucky holiday movies is likely to cannibalize itself at the box office as most films are about the importance of family in a person’s life.  Among others, Everybody’s Fine, It’s Complicated and Up in the Air will be plucking at your heartstrings. Although likely, you won’t want to see the same movie three times.

What is it with Hollywood’s love-affair with trying to make central characters find it in their hearts to love? It may work in robot movies like Artificial Intelligence, for obvious reasons (they’re not “programmed” to love after all).  Already this year, Judd Apatow taught Adam Sandler to love and Paper Heart did the same for Charleyne Yi. Sure it’s a great engine for screenwriters. Yet how many more Jerry Maguires will it take to make the whole concept worn and tired?  When you really think about it, the entire purpose of Up in the Air is to teach George Clooney how to love.

So let me be the first to say it. Jason Reitman’s acclaimed Up in the Air is not Oscar-worthy. Not in any category. Simply put, it is a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy disguised as film which believes it has something important to say about the American economic crisis. Its biggest flaw is that it is just too dialogue-driven. At times it feels like you’re sitting through a sermon, listening to the monotonous, raspy voice of George Clooney, who sounds like the guy from the Men’s Warehouse commercials who says, “You’re gonna like the way you look. I guarantee it.”

Ever see a trailer that reveals exactly what you’re going to experience in the movie….and then regret that you’d even gone to see the movie? Up in the Air is just like that. A total flatline for the entire movie. The trailer is indeed better than the actual movie.

Writer/Director Jason Reitman has a problem. It’s not that he doesn’t have good ideas. His movies just aren’t cinematic. Nothing pops visually off the screen. Anyone interested in watching famous actors debate serious issues such as the importance of family, cigarette smoking, or the difficulty in making job cuts are better off watching Larry King Live or Dr. Phil.  At points, the style of Up in the Air reminded me of Stanley Kramer’s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), a film which focuses on the familial tension caused by an interracial couple, which spends the entire film showcasing its characters simply discussing the issue of race.

Up in the Air isn’t a stage-play. If Reitman wants to write for the stage he can always follow in the footsteps of Preachy McPreacherson (Tyler Perry) by taking his show on the road. Reitman even admitted that if he had to make another sequel to his father’s (Ivan Reitman) beloved Ghostbusters franchise that the film would likely be about people talking about ghosts instead of actually killing them.

Now let’s tackle Mr. Clooney. What’s his job in this movie? In the far-superior legal thriller Michael Clayton (2007) his character plays the ambiguous role of “the fixer.” In this film his position isn’t quite explained all that well. He’s not a pilot. He fires people. But why would a down-sizer need to be spending so much time on a plane?  Clooney has a habit of informing his viewers through metaphor what he really is. “I’m not a shark. I’m a wake-up call.” or “We are not swans. We are sharks.” In Michael Clayton, he claims he’s “a bagman,” “a janitor” or “Shiva the God of Death.” Hmm, all too familiar if you ask me.  And there’s a reason. Reitman wrote the role for George Clooney.

George Clooney and Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air."

The whole film has a very cliche….no, that’s not the word…”recycled” feel to it. The talented Vera Farmiga who many may remember from The Departed (2006) as the sexy, manipulative psychologist has a similar character arc concerning…well, I shouldn’t ruin it for you. But you can see it coming a mile away.

A few redeeming qualities of this film would have to be the convincing chemistry amongst the actors and Reitman’s knack for smart dialogue. So if you’re going to see the film for its light-hearted, romantic comedy appeal then chances are you’re making the right choice. George Clooney proves after-all that he can effectively fulfill the special Hugh Grant requirement seen in most commercial rom-coms. So if you’re looking for a date-movie, this might do you well. If you’re looking for much else, look elsewhere.

Charlie Wachtel is a Senior Writer for The Film Crusade and Founder of www.filmcrusade.com.