Up in the Air - 2010

The worst thing I can say about Up in the Air, Jason Reitman's lastest comedy, is that it ends. I can't remember the last time a film finished and I didn't want it to. The film is also irrefutable proof that George Clooney is a modern day Cary Grant. Subtle, charming but without his usual need for cool, Clooney expresses a range of acting that is rarely seen in modern romantic comedies. But then, this isn't like modern romantic comedies. It never feels cliched, instead it is fresh, original, with two characters who have masses of on screen chemistry, yet also feel like real believable people; not just idealised versions of what romantic leads should be. Up in the Air is also a film which reminds me of the classic Wilder comedies of the 50's or the Cary Grant comedies with its zinging, pithy dialogue.

The sotry centres of Ryan Bingham, who works for a corporate downsizing company, spending all his time in planes, airports or hotels flitting between cities to lay off the staff for companies unwilling to do so themselves. With the current financial climate this film feels more relevant, and at times you wonder if the light hearted comedy will jar against the depressing nature of the story, yet in the hands of Clooney and Reitman, the film manages to be funny and moving in equal measure. What makes Clooney even more endearing is that his goal is a simple one. To accumulate 10million airmiles. That's it. Nothing more, just to join an elite club. This provides not only a measure of the comedy, but also sheds light on to the type of character Clooney is playing.

On his journey Bingham meets Alex (Vera Farmiga - sexy, effortlessly charming, and the equal of Clooney in every way) who is essentially the female version of him. Together they embark on a love affair across states, catching an evening here and there whenever their hectic schedules send to the same place. It's here, in the witty exchanges, like comparing the size of their airmiles, as if it was the most intimate of secrets, that the film achieves its greatest heights. Not for a long time as a romantic couple on screen been so seductive.

Bingham though has other problems. Loving his life, spending 250 odd days a year on the road, and somehow finding time to give motivational speeches about losing all the baggage we carry round, Bingham is paired with young colleague Natalie (Anna Kendrick), who is attempting to revolutionise Bingham's industry without even understanding it. She threatens his existence by devising a plan for the company to fire people not face to face, but using a webcam. This subplot, which in lesser hands would derail the entire film actually ends up giving the film its heart. Kendrick more than holds her own, where a lesser actor would have faded or competed against the chemistry of Clooney and Farmiga. This film highlights Kendrick as an actress to keep an eye on.

What makes this film stand out against the usual, run of the mill romantic comedies is that it is a bitttersweet journey, and one which has a unlikely protagonist. Bingham is isolated, prefers to be alone, and doesn't believe in marriage or children. In many ways he is unlikeable, but when he is laying people off, you seen his humane side. He understands human nature, how devestating losing your job is, and so he provides an unlikely and unexpected comfort to these people. The film also benefits from using actual people who have been laid off over the past years, allowing them to draw on their own experiences.

The film also refuses to deliver the typical rom-com ending, and this final resolution provides a fitting end to a film which never veers anywhere near convention. A film which is pertinent to the current climate, has a heart and charm unlike any comedy for years, delivering a breath of fresh air so far from the recycled air of an airplane that when the credits begin to roll, you feel alive, and a great appreciation of life. Its in the final images that Reitman interweaves the two central plots most effectively, allowing the theme to come to fore - of those who have lost their careers and the pursuit of love.

Reitman hits the big time, with a effortlessly charming romantic comedy, with a potentially career best performance from Clooney, and a message which nevers feel trite. This is what Hollywood used to do best, and Reitman may well be the unlikely director to rekindle the past, especially if his next film can equal the beauty and simplicity of this gem.