Bingham is threatened with being grounded at base, right on the cusp of a goal he’s worked toward for years – reaching 10 million frequent flyer miles. And what’s more he’s just met the frequent-traveller woman of his dreams, Alex (Vera Farmiga).
A resolute bachelor and opportunist, Bingham is unprepared for the forces that the two women unleash. The likeable rogue whose soul is redeemable is an eternally useful cinematic character, and Clooney is the ideal actor to play him.
Up In the Air gives him a vehicle to deliver a humorous performance tinged with melancholy, as he finds himself in a unique situation.
Director Jason Reitman balances comedy with plenty of deadly serious material, mostly flowing from the basic premise of a man whose job is to fire people.
Reitman doesn’t make this process cruelly comedic. He lets us observe: we see a procession of workers confronted by the bad news and their heartfelt reactions. This isn’t the funny stuff. This is the counter balance.
Around this bleak scenario, Reitman engineers an entertaining clash of characters that’s pointedly well observed.
He touches on gender politics, the nature of relationships, loneliness, frequent flying and the etiquette of professional travel, as well as the emptiness with which the Ryan Binghams of the world grapple every day.
When Bingham’s sister, played by New Zealand’s own Melanie Lynskey, is set to married and the groom, Jim (Danny McBride), gets cold feet, Bingham is the one on the spot who has the ironic task of trying to talk him back into a committed relationship.
The unique situation in which Bingham finds himself is a revelation about himself that takes him and the audience by surprise.
Clooney’s deceptively effective characterisation is superb, but he is not the only cast member to deliver terrific performances.
Both Kendrick and Farmiga pack a punch, as does Jason Bateman as Bingham’s boss. JK Simmons and Sam Elliott appear in cameos, and every one of the fired workers bring tangible truths to their small but important appearances.
