cameron326 wrote:Also, what I dislike about this film is how it floats over a lot of 'big issues', but is afraid to get its hands dirty. Clooney and his colleague's heartless, corporate, downsizing bullshit and socially detached lives are mocked and scorned throughout the film. But instead of turning the knife in, the director seems to compeltely backtrack in the second half of the film, finished of with the real interview montage, simply saying, capitalism might be a rough, cold-blooded bastard at times, but as long as we stick together we'll be ok. When in reality, its surely those older middleaged people with more responsibiilities, repayments, families, and kids that are often hit hardest by out of the blue redundancies.
Since I rated it 100 (one of only 13 out of over 1000), thought I ought to chime in.
Over and above your anti-capitalism bias (and apparent pro-utopian stance), I don't think you see Reitman's pervasive irony, represented so well by the title itself--up in the air avoiding life, and up in the air undecided and looking to continue that way. There's a lot going on here, like the reason his job exists is because their (evil capitalist) bosses do care and don't enjoy firing people (which is nearly universal in management, again thus his raison d'etre.) Yes, he does mock his discharges to a degree, and some scrutiny about people in their position (all except J.K. Rowling & Zach Galifianakis, were people who'd gone through that experience in the business world) is a valid avenue to pursue. Further, he does reveal that his "technique" is honed from experience as the best way to break such always awful news to them. He does what he can to break it to them as gently as possible, very similar to doctors giving a terminal diagnosis--which is also the reason for a certain necessary detachment.
But the other theme in the movie is the rut or funk the negative aspects of his job have brought to his life, thus the importance of his air miles, which he and everyone knows is an ultra-shallow "achievement". His "motivational" speech equates people in our lives with our possessions that we carry in our backpacks! Then he meets his intern, who he has to teach the value of his experience as it relates to those they must discharge, as well as the superb Vera Farminga (who Reitman balanced so well with Clooney), who he falls for, [spoiler]but turns out to be a phoney as the importance of his air miles[/spoiler]. Throw in the excellent humor/satire, and there's a lot there for anyone who cares to look with an unjaundiced eye.
Cut to credits, cruising through the clouds, Up in the Air.