MOVIE REVIEW: Up in the Air

Tonight, I went to see an advance screening of the new movie "Up in the Air" at the Birmingham Uptown Palladium. I received the tickets courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

In this movie, George Clooney plays a man who flies all around the country firing people who are being downsized from companies. He is on the road 323 days and is only home for 42 days a year. To shelter himself from the heavy emotions involved in his very difficult job, he has downsized his life to only what he can pack in his carry-on luggage and stays clear of any real human emotional contact, especially from his sisters who he has ignored for years.

But his organized, emotionless world is turned upside down when his younger sister gets engaged, he meets a beautiful woman who makes him think about changing his lifestyle, and his company grounds him from flying after he trains a young raising star at his company in how to fire people.

George Clooney gives a wonderful performance as a man at a crossroad who decides to take a chance on all the wonderful, messy emotions that come with liking, loving, living, and being disappointed with those people that you care the most about. I really loved this movie because it takes the viewer on an emotional roller coaster. It is both laugh out loud funny and very sad, especially the parts when people are being fired from their jobs. The movie gives a realistic portrayal of how life does not always go your way, but the support of people who love you make the journey worth all the risk.

Go and see it. It is a great movie that will definitely do well at awards time. (By the way, Detroit Metro Airport makes an appearance in this movie.)