Up in the Air: Movie Review

A couple of weeks ago, Michael and I went to see a movie we really enjoyed: Up in the Air with George Clooney. The movie is so topical right now.

Clooney plays a man whose job is to travel to different corporations across the country and to fire people so the corporate managers don't have to do the dirty work. He likes traveling all the time, and in fact, his goal is to log 10 million frequent flyer miles with his preferred airline. He has structured his life so that he has no commitments to anyone.

However, a young ambitious woman in his company proposes a plan that turns his life upside down. She suggests that the company stop spending so much money on travel and instead fire people via Internet video conference. Clooney's character predictably hates this idea.

Another complication is an affair that he has with a woman who is as much an avid corporate traveler as he is. (The scene where they pick each other up is very funny. You'll never believe what these people use as a turn-on.) And Clooney's younger sister is about to get married, so his family is placing expectations on him that he can't quite blow off the way he usually does.

I won't reveal more of the plot, but I will say that the movie explores what really makes a person's life meaningful. It is wonderfully acted. I recommended it heartily.

P.S. On reconsideration (because of a poster's comment), I'll add the caveat that this wouldn't be a good choice for anyone who has recently experienced a layoff or a traumatic personal loss. But if you don't fall into those categories, I still think it's worth seeing. It will make you think.