Up in the Air

Nominated for multiple Oscars, including Best Picture, this 2009 film deftly captured the contemporary sense of angst in a turbulent tale of an emotionally alienated, rootless frequent flyer, a suave corporate executive who travels 322 days a year and considers VIP lounges and a seat in business class to be his home. Cynical Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a transitional expert or “termination engineer,” who makes his living by firing other firms' employees. With a career goal of accumulating 10 million American Airlines miles, Bingham thrives on dispassionate downsizing, while also regularly delivering “What's In Your Backpack?” motivational lectures in which he advocates shedding the weight of both possessions and relationships. Ryan even establishes an easygoing sexual relationship with a likeminded fellow traveler, Alex (Vera Farmiga). But then Natalie (Anna Kendrick), a twentysomething efficiency analyst, pitches Ryan's Omaha-based boss, Craig (Jason Bateman), on the idea of grounding Ryan and his cohorts and going “glocal” (global-turned-local), which means firing people via video-conferencing, rather than face-to-face. Worse, Ryan finds himself saddled with naïve tag-along Natalie on a final round of business trips, during which he faces an unexpected midlife crisis. Director Jason Reitman (Juno), working with writer Sheldon Turner in adapting Walter Kirn's novel, creates a perceptive, often surprising, fast-paced socioeconomic satire, an existentialist tragicomedy that perceptively taps into current anxieties and recession fears. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by writer-director Jason Reitman, cinematographer Eric Steelberg, and associate producer Jason Blumenfeld, a “Shadow Play: Before the Story” making-of featurette on the title sequence (3 min.), deleted scenes with optional commentary by Reitman, and trailers. Excusive to the Blu-ray release are additional deleted scenes with optional commentary by Reitman, storyboards (2 min.), and the music video “Help Yourself” by Sad Brad Smith. Bottom line: a solid extras package for one of 2009's best films.] (S. Granger)