A little bit sardonic exestencialism, a little bit buddy comedy with some classic Jason Rietman spin. Up in the Air is easily the second best movie I’ve seen so far this year (The Hurt Locker still holds onto first for the moment). It’s the perfect blend of quality film making, original comedy and provacatic story telling that makes the movies fun to go to.
George Clooney gives one of the most honest and magnetic performances of his career, as the corporate downsizer moonlighting as anti-motivational speaker, Ryan Bingham. Bingham jumps from city to city, almost every day of the year, firing people and waiting for the covented 10 millionth mile on his US Airways card. It’s a timely story line that will become a film of the moment, reflecting not only the stress of being out of work but the jetset lifestyle of many modern corporate agents in the age of 24/7 business.
Bingham is the kind of smooth talking character that will draw you into his warping isolationist philosophy and have it make sense. But that is the beauty of the film it bring you in with humor and engaging characters, building a world representative of the times, and blows it away with a few great twists and turns.
Bingham’s travel focused world is turned on it’s end by fellow corporate status traveler Alex (Vera Farmiga). Alex is exactly like Bingham in everyway, except with lady parts. And she says so in a more adult way. The cast is rounded out by Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), a spunky young ivy leaguer bent on revolutionizing the world of corpurate downsizing and destroying Bingham’s high flying world.
It’s simply a great film that will keep you laughing and thinking long after the credits are done rolling.
Thunder Awards
Winner of the Week: Jesper Parnevik, who ripped Tiger Woods for being unfaithful to his former nany. It wasn’t the fact that Parnevik critized Tiger, it was the awesomeness with which he did it. The Swede tee’d off on Woods, saying, “But when you are the guy he is – the world’s best athlete – you should think more before you do stuff … and maybe not ‘Just do it,’ like Nike says.”
Loser(s) of the Week: Tolkien fans, as The Hobbit production has been delayed again, fans might not get to see the initial installment of the Lord of the Rings two part prequel until 2011 now. Nerds everywhere are smothering tears of saddness in star wars bed sheets, holding their gandalf action figure close their star trek jammie covered chest.
Weasel of the Week: The West Point cadet who was caught on national television sleeping during the President’s address. That’s just a fail, sorry dude. I appreciate your survice though.
Funniest Video of the Week: Geeks Gone Wild – Harvard v. Yale football game.
Game of the Week: Help Tiger Woods Escape Golf Club Wheilding Wife
Trailer(s) of the Week
Black Lighning
44 Inch Chest (UK trailer)
also, Iron Man 2 teaser poster came out this week —
Pale Thunder 