Current News and Notes

Up in the Air: What's in Your Backpack? Okay, so I know the whole backpack metaphor is a bit obvious, but the truth is, it works. I was completely swept away by Jason Reitman's third feature film, Up in the Air. Does our hero's third act revelation come as a shock to any of us? Of course not. Yes, from the very beginning we see a self-consumed man who will, we assume, over the course of the next two hours learn the value of relationships and putting others before himself. No big surprises. But the way Reitman and his performers handle this material is outstanding.

The film is very funny, beautifully juggling its comedy and the pathos, and George Clooney's performance is a marvel of subtle transformation. Yes, he the cliched big ah-hah moment in the middle of a speech, but we're able to follow every nuanced step leading up to that moment of transformation. Thankfully, Reitman doesn't let the film wrap everything up with a tidy, happy ending. The film's final moments are a pitch-perfect blend of resolve and sadness, yet we still have hope that change is possible.

As deft as the script and the performances are, they are more than matched by Reitman's direction. He and his cinematographer, Eric Steelberg, find beautiful shots and gorgeous compositions throughout the film. Most of the Oscar-bait films released during awards season end up with a very pedestrian sense of framing and scene composition - they just tell the story and little else. Yet, Reitman and Steelberg use their shots wisely, showing their steady hand in the art of visual communication, telling more with one visual moment than they could in almost five minutes of dialogue.

Up in the Air is a timely film, and not just because it hits on the mass layoffs and downsizings throughout America. The truth is, we live in a culture that is increasingly disconnected, increasingly isolated. We have become so good at compartmentalizing our lives that we don't see anything wrong with living as two, three, sometimes four different people. And that kind of division within our own person means that we never truly allow ourselves to know and be known by others.

The film ends with a montage of non-actors who have lost their jobs during this current recession. They all speak to the fact that the only way they've been able to make it through this very difficult stage in their lives is through the help and support of their friends and family. Again, it seems obvious. But, speaking as someone who was recently laid off, there was something genuinely reassuring and quite moving in these testimonials which closed out the story of a disconnected and untethered man. Because of my wife, my family and friends, and my faith, I was able to make it through one of the most difficult and trying times in my life. Up in the Air is a moving film that reminds us how important it is to be in community, in relationship, in fellowship with others.