Up in the Air

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Love the dollar show! Still got one left in Metro-Detroit. Surrounded by elderly folks we nestled in with popcorn and sodas to enjoy Jason Reitman's new film. Of course we all know Jason from directing Juno and his father's directing accomplishments including two of my favorites being - Stripes and Ghostbusters. This film's vibe follows closely to that of Juno, but for me it wasn't as taxing as Juno. With Juno, every scene involves Ellen Page providing quick, snappy, smart dialogue and for me it began to become self-indulgent (Simon Cowell lol) and annoying/distracting. Up in the Air keeps the same reactive pacing throughout the story but is much more sincere and heartfelt with how the characters and relationships are handled.

5 minutes into the film I knew I was going to love it. Ok, I'm a sucker for voiceover narration from the main protagonist to welcome us to their world (fight club, magnolia - kind of, etc). The film has many honest funny moments and I feel the premise of the film fits well into the climate we live in today.

Thinking about it more - another reason I really that film is because it deals heavily with the concept of loss of personal connection in and with human relationships. Desolation and isolation become the basic forms of coping and substitution. On varying levels I can relate. It reminded me of Election, About Schmidt, and Everybody's Fine - the whole life is escaping you one day at a time vibe.

One interesting viewing experience for me was when DETROIT flashed on the screen our crowd erupted with applause. And they did capture the ambiance of d-town fairly well - dreary, unceasing snow, and empty work offices. Did anyone else experience audience applause when their city's name adorned the silver screen?

Rating: 9.25/10