Can you name the last movie you saw that made you re-evaluate your life's values and your views on the unholy sanctimony of marriage to the point of inspiring true flutters of romantic desire? Now I can.
On top of doing that to me (I literally hear George Clooney's voice now as I type, creepy... he now narrates my life part-time), the movie Up in the Air tackles the dichotomy of the salary-driven individual and the dreamer so poignantly it may as well be you in the hot seat receiving a "packet."
As George, in his best-fitted role yet of professional "termination technician" Ryan Brigham (a role literally tailor-made for him by writer/director Jason Reitman), says, "I'm your wake-up call."
This movie, an astute, properly sentimental triumph of Reitman's, is a wake-up call for anyone wanting (or needing) to take another look at their lives and what they value. And even if you're already set, I suspect you won't find the movie fluffy or purposelessly sappy.
A most moving moment is, like many parts of this movie (or any good movie), a result of simply edited, simply beautiful shots of characters with soul. And, of course, the perfect song. Sad Brad Smith's Help Yourself plays as we see George enjoy the company of his plus-one (and potential love interest) at his sister's wedding. (The haunting, astoundingly charismatic Alex played by Vera Farmiga is unimaginably George's perfect match.) The song lyrics perfectly supplement the footage — plus, the music provides the slightly melancholy notes the imagery needs to bring you to your own realization of the importance of these moments — things you don't want to skip out on.
Equally important, though, is the career lesson. Of course, the current climate of the workforce in North America is uncharacteristically brash, so the timing of this movie couldn't be better. Up in the Air has two legs firmly planted in the present, and summarizes the times by demonstrating the desperation that comes with unemployment, especially for those who've practically spent their entire lives labouring for their respective companies; but it also reminds us, those who are young enough, to make a change if we'd feel empty after a lifetime of working. It's an eerily on-point summary of a generation who got married young, procreated young, and worked to accumulate wealth to mobilize their families.
At what point does a salary take hold of your dreams? Will our generation be any different? And was the last generation even wrong, especially for those so lucky to remain happily married, to have a witness to their lives and to have conceived offspring to love and be witness to? These are the kinds of questions George is still asking me.
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