Up in the Air

True, there were moments that seemed a bit forced, but overall, I found this movie quite enjoyable. It made me ponder a bit, yet at the same time, it's not a requirement as you can also just switch off your mind and relax. However, this film is far from mindless; if you pay attention, it has something to say. It avoids being cheaply pathetic, though there are moments that may lean in that direction, and it doesn't try to deceive the viewer with a contrived happy ending. Today, I genuinely enjoyed it, and the chemistry between George Clooney and Vera Farmiga significantly contributed to that. / Lesson learned: Sometimes it's genuinely challenging to keep both feet on the ground and not have your head in the clouds. (14/07/2022)

Jason Reitman has shown that it is possible to make a romance film that doesn't necessarily have the ending you expect, and it can even be set in the environment of airports. A person who spends most of their life in an airplane, airport terminals, and various hotel rooms. And yet they are happy because they have a job (firing others) and maybe even love (although they see it very rarely). Or maybe everything is just a little different. Beautiful, even though people are ugly. (06/04/2014)

A very charismatic movie about an even more charismatic guy who fires people from their jobs. He calls things by their real names, does exactly what he's supposed to do, and handles every (verbal) situation gallantly. I really like movies about people who have something in their heads... Plus I found the plot very original, no clichés. Really thought out. George Clooney, once again I applaud you! (31/10/2010)

It flies by like an airplane, leaving behind a condensing steam of nice phrases, textbook truths, and encouraging statements. All we need is for Clooney to raise his eyebrows and the world seems to be a kind place where even the biggest loss has its positive aspects. However, like the hero Ryan, above all Reitman's film gives the viewer a treated motivational pat – I was not offended in any way, but truth be told, I also checked out. (18/01/2010)

The same old story. Reitman makes one movie after another, but he just can’t achieve the quality of his shorts. And here it is even worse because the entire time I couldn’t shake off the feeling that this is an Americanized variation (and I don’t mean that pejoratively, just it’s been adapted to the American way of life, the mood in society etc.) on last year’s Japanese Oscar winner. Unfortunately I get the feeling from this that it isn’t nearly as sincere as intentional, criminally dry and almost too “serious". (10/01/2010)