Amy WangUp in the Air is Soaring!
January 20th 2010 03:24
Hello fellow internet websters. I am writing this post from beyond the grave...in America!! So technically not beyond the grave...more like beynd the land of Australia. Ok I'll stop. I'm writing weirdly for one reason and one reason only. Because I am filled with excitement for the amount of great films I will finally be able to watch for half the price and 3 months in advance. Because Australia gets most of the films 3 months later. I will finally for the first time be able to watch all of the Oscar nominated films before the Oscars are announced in March. Dream come true.
Now, onto the first of many reviews I will be writing on this topic of Oscar contenders. Up in the Air directed by Jason Reitman is one of those few films that captured my heart and moved me in such a way that long after the film finished, I was still lingering on the characters' journeys. It affected me, it touched me and most of all it completely transfixed me. The film is not by any means, an Avatar. In the sense that it is not an in your face film. It is subtle, collected and every tiny thing that happens in the movie serves a purpose in the most natural way possible. Nothing is forced. The acting is natural, the camerawork is perfect for the film and the script. OH MY GOODNESS THE SCRIPT. Sorry, had to express that in capitals. The script is amazing. Yes I know it is based on a book, but the script itself changed alot of stuff that was in the book to prep it for the big screen. I truly hope it wins best adapted screenplay.
Overall Plot:
Now, Up in the Air is about a middle aged man, played by George Clooney whose job everyday is to travel to different cities in America and fire people. Yes fire people. For those bosses who are too much of a pansy to do it themselves, they hire Clooney's company to fire their staff. This is the backdrop with the story. Along the way, Clooney meets a woman, and is mentors another woman. Each character is so sutbly believable and very much crafted to perfection. The casting was phenomenal and as many people say, George Clooney in the film is fundamentally playing a larger than life version of himself. And I think he does a darn good job of it!
Another thing I must praise about this film is the screenplay. For me, realism is one of the most important things in a film. Realism does not mean literal realism. A film like Avatar can also retain realism. Avatar can retain all of it's fantasy elements and action sequences but retain that emotional sentimentality. Retain it's belief. And I think Up in the Air really captures that. Throughout the entire film, not once did I question the characters, their motives, their world or what they were learning from their experiences. The dialogue was effortless and the entire film just flowed.
Gosh, thematically this film really struck a cord with me also. The fact that George Clooney does what he does for a living is already an emotional layer in the film. His segregation from society, his loneliness and his failed attempts at reaching for his fears are just beautifully done. The music, the mood, the subdued colours were all perfect for the tone of the film. Jason Reitman really outdid himself...actually he didn't have much to outdo in the first place but he certainly has set the benchmark for his future projects.
I am still in awe. 5 Stars.
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