Juno Director Goes UP IN THE AIR

[SonikDeath]

Great movie. 10/10

 

[Matt]

Great movie. 10/10

I'm so seldom willing to give a film that score, but I can literally think of no way to improve on this or even a major flaw in it, so yeah, I may agree.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Vera's DAT ASS shot made it 10/10 for me.

 

[Sarge 2.0]

Unfortunately it was not her ass.

 

[Christopher Nolan]

what? it was not her ass? a double?

 

[Sarge 2.0]

Yep. She recently had a baby so a nude scene was out of the question.

 

[Christopher Nolan]

uh...now the movie drops from 10/10 to 9/10 hehe..

 

[ttotheusher]

Just got back from seeing this film. Incredible. One of the best films I've seen for a long long time. 10/10 all the way.

 

[DACrowe]

It is a 10/10. Saw it last month and it still settles with me as the best movie of the year.

 

[Prison Mike]

this movie should have gotten the Golden Globe IMO. Not Avatar...

 

[Apollo]

Up in the Air was good, But I liked Avatar Way better.

Now I have to see Hurt Locker, Precious, and Inglorious Bastards
So many award nominated movies i haven't seen!

Up In The Air - 8.5/10

 

[Prison Mike]

visually, I thought Avatar was better. But story-wise, I felt Up in the Air was better. I had no problem with Cameron taking the Golden Globe for best Director. He deserved it. But for overall best movie...there were better movies that Avatar IMO. The Hurt Locker was a better movie also.

 

[Ziggyman]

Really, really good...not great...but a fine piece of work...

...Didn't get that "amazing" feeling...Reitman...3 for 3 baby!

 

[Hunter Rider]

What a fantastic movie, certainly top of my 2009 list so far (On catch up duty though.)

Reitman is a fantastic writer and director, the script here just bristles with great dialogue and the quiet awkwardness of the intimate moments, the scene where Clooney's Bingham first meets Farminga's Alex for instance is an instant classic, the zingy innuendo wordplay between the two strikes up a chemistry that makes you invest in two people who are on the surface shallow as a paddling pool.

Clooney is at his best here playing corporate assassin and serial loner Ryan Bingham, ok so he doesn't kill anyone but he is the hitman sent in to fire employees bosses don't want to face, and Reitman plays on this with the first scene we see of Clooney packing his travelling bag, folding and clipping everything into place, all shot like those scenes you see in action movies with assassins preparing their weapons. The usual Clooney touchstones (Self effacing charm bordering on smugness crossed with doe eyed everyman) are there but he invests Bingham with a world weary empathy that makes you root for him and feel for him when the movies kick in the nuts twist comes into play.

The film is essentially an age old tale of "finding yourself" mixed in with the many questions people ask themselves regarding life, love and relationships, but instead of being cliched or dull it is the opposite, the situations and questions are presented through entertaining and likable characters that you take this journey with all set against the frothy backdrop of high end air travel.

The key to the films success is the two main relationships Bingham has, one with fellow travel jockey Alex (Vera Farminga) and one with young trainee sacker Natalie (Anna Kendrick), the relationship with Alex is the movies heart and it's fun, the chemistry between Clooney and Farminga is feisty but tender and it awakeness some of Bingham's lost humanity. The relationship with Natalie is more like a student/teacher one in the beginning but Bingham finds out some home truths from his slightly neurotic young side kick. The thing that makes both relationships work is that the dialogue is sparky and enteratining, the banter crisp and engaging BUT it also comes with depth and a message just layered in there like subtle jabs so that you get the movies point without feeling smothered by it.

If you are looking for a thrill ride this isn't it, but if you are looking for a warm, funny non linear comedy *** character drama that allows you to think rather than spoon feed you and give you easy answers, then this is as good as it gets.

9.5/10

 

[Apollo]

Thank you for smoking, Juno, Up in the Air = All Great films.
Rietman has a bright future ahead of him.

 

[Ziggyman]

...Some would say that it can only go down from here...

 

[hugekent]

He's definitely improving IMO. I enjoyed Thank You For Smoking but I thought Juno was horrible. That was mostly to do with the ridiculous dialogue so you can't blame Reitman too much, but he's definitely done something special with Up in the Air.

Great review Hunter Rider, but for me, the relationship between Clooney and Kendrick was the key of the movie. Maybe it's just because I'm sick of romance but the teacher/student relationship was done very impressively and also resulted in most of the film's laughs.

 

[Ziggyman]

...Really enjoyed both Thank You and Juno...I just think that his movies are always slowed down somewhere which kinda bothers me...but it's all good...Reitman has definitely owned the later years of the 2000's...