CheekyChicago

Of all the stress-inducing objects in our culture, the dreaded “information packet” has to be one of the worst. Its mere presence on the meeting-room table demands our attention, our money, our signature – our acceptance of someone else’s terms. In Up In The Air, the timely story of a man who travels the country to fire employees on behalf of big companies, director Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You For Smoking) uses the information packet the way a horror director might use an axe. Whenever Ryan Bingham and Natalie Keener enter an office with their stack of glossy folders in tow, it’s doomsday.

As Ryan Bingham, George Clooney gives his signature warmth and likeability to a man perfectly content to fly around and tell people they’ve lost their jobs. Bingham’s good at what he does, delivering canned advice to the fired and saying he helps people. But the perks are his real passion – he’s turned solitude, travel finesse and frequent flier rewards into art forms. When he meets the woman of his dreams, fellow business traveler Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), they bond over their un-tethered lifestyles.

But when Keener, a bright, young, know-it-all employee, convinces Bingham’s boss (the spot-on Justin Bateman) that the company should fire people via video conference to cut travel costs, Bingham tastes his own medicine. To defend his craft as a face-to-face hatchet man, he must allow Keener to tag along on his next tour of duty.

Thus begins what’s basically an “opposites on the road” comedy, a la It Happened One Night or The Sure Thing, except for the sobering termination scenes that pepper the film. These scenes, for which Reitman used a blend of non-actors who had actually been laid off and known actors in cameos, will go down as a permanent record of our times. They also further the story by affecting Keener, the unflappable (and Oscar-buzz-worthy) Anna Kendrick.

And then there’s the powerhouse, Farmiga. She delivers such strength and nuance as Clooney’s counterpart that many viewers will want to see the film twice just to catch everything she’s doing. You may remember her as the police shrink in The Departed, caught in a love triangle between Matt Damon and Leo. Now she’s creating explosive chemistry opposite Clooney, who hasn’t appeared so disarmed by a woman since he faced off with Julia Roberts in Oceans 11.

Let’s not forget another strong female in this film – Amy Morton of Steppenwolf. As Clooney’s wounded older sister, Morton’s face speaks plenty of backstory as she coaxes her errant brother into helping out with their younger sister’s wedding. Underscoring the wedding montage is the music of another Chicago talent, Sad Brad Smith, whose song “Help Yourself” captures the bittersweet moment and has generated plenty of awards buzz as well.

We already knew Reitman liked picking music (the Juno soundtrack became ‘Indie for Dummies’), but this movie has him reveling in imagery as well. Along with the information packets, we get repeating motifs of Blackberries, luggage zippers, hotel key cards, swipe kiosks, high-rise windows, dreary office lighting, stiff business attire, smiling flight attendants and fluffy clouds. It’s unapologetically contrived, but that could be exactly the point.

For a mainstream movie that occasionally goes a touch too feel-good, Up in the Air offers a deeply engaging ride and thankfully dares to wrap up less neatly than Juno. We’ll leave you to guess if we’re ever taken inside a warm, comfy home, or if such a place is only talked about by those who are getting the axe.