Up in the Air (2009) - A Looking Closer Film Forum

I'm not allowed to post my review of this film before its release date, due to studio policies.

So I'll wait. In the meantime, here are some reviews that have been online for a while now...

Up in the AirUp in the Air is neither funny enough to be a straight comedy nor serious enough to be a telling drama about the human toll wrought by economic crisis

2.

a depressingly pedestrian visual sense

3.

It's a weakness in synch with Reitman, who, after the slapdash cynicism of Thank You for Smoking and the alt-weekly snark of Juno, has settled for an anonymous sort of polish. Up in the Air isn't without its behavioral charms, especially in the sexy, relaxed rapport struck between Clooney and a for-once-not-jittery Farmiga. It's a smooth ride, which is precisely the problem in a film proposing to examine a hollow character's malaise. Nobody gets offended, nothing gets questioned, the crowd goes home properly cheered. Expect a cartload of Oscars.

4.

Up in the Airhas no double or hidden meanings, and precious little is left unsaid through dialog or via voiceover. ... it doesn’t require the viewer to do work or ask questions,

Spotted with snippets of mock exit interviews with real recently laid-off Americans, Up in the Air tries hard to embody this moment of national melancholy, but Reitman reveals his hand by setting the opening credits to a light blues cover of “This Land is Your Land.” The song, and the film, are pure American schmaltz jazzed up, its inherent brightness tinted blue but never significantly darkened. Up in the Air is the kind of feel-good film about bad news that has been winning Oscars for decades. Like its opening song, we’ve heard Up in the Air’s tune so many times that it no longer means anything.

And that's why The National Board of Review have just named it the Best Picture of 2009!