A picture says a thousand words!
I couldn't stand the opening credits for "UP IN THE AIR".
If this hodge-podge of mundane flat images (with a score underneath that screamed Sixties B-movie) was a sign of what was to come, I half-expected to walk out.
Fortunately, once handsome George Clooney sauntered onto the screen and the plot line moved along at a fast clip, I was able to settle in for a very entertaining (and, at times, inspiring) two hours of move-making magic.
Although the subject matter is a serious one in these tough economic times (Clooney's character is basically a hatchet-man who has been hired to - as gracefully as possible - give termination notices to employees first-hand at major companies around the country when their usefulness has been outlived) the surprisingly delightful film is sparked up with a lot of hilarious dialogue, sight gags, and jokes about relationships that resonate deeply with the rapt audiences currently packing in movie theatres to catch it first time around.
The story sickens when a young efficiency expert (female, natch) - with a minor in psychology - waltzes in to incorporate sophisticated "computerized" technology into the mix (on screen firings, for example) in a bold-faced effort to make the process more efficient and cost effective.
At this juncture, the film becomes an intense morality tale about corporate insensitivity and the loss of humanity in the workplace.
A sub-plot which focuses on Clooney's inability to commit to a relationship strikes a responsive chord, too, in this well-crafted script which dovetails a handful of believable thought-provoking scenarios which resolve fittingly (without cop out) in the closing moments of the film.
By the way - "Will you be my co-pilot?" - is bound to be a phrase (coined in the film) that surely catches on with young (and old) lovers alike as the charming Clooney offering gains momentum around the country.
Gorgeous George is at the top of his game here in a highly-nuanced performance that astounds.
All the supporting players round out the cast with solid seamless performances, too.
In fact, I expect filmgoers will be anxious to catch a couple of the relatively-unknown actors featured in "UP IN THE AIR" in future projects, if only to see what acting stuff they're truly made of for curiosity's sake.
Clooney's character falls victim to the "love" game!
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