Up in the Air

Interesting movie. Saw it on the plane down to Cape Town. George Clooney plays a professional downsizer; a consultant hired by companies to fire staff, when, in his words "the manager is too much of a coward to do it himself". The movie takes us on a cold journey through desolate office landscapes in the fly-over states; Omaha, Des Moines, places like that. The harshness of the American workplace is laid bare in all its upbeat desperation. This movie is depressing in the same way as Glengarry Glen Ross was.

The main character Ryan Bingham (Clooney) makes a journey from glorified (in his own eyes) alienation and isolation, to slowly finding human warmth and connection once more. When finally he joins the very exclusive American Airline 10 Million Miles Club (a great scene with Sam Elliott as a philosophical airline captain strongly reminiscent of his cowboy stranger in the Big Lebowski) he really couldn't care less any more.

Recommended. A must see for every frequent flyer who is very very fed up with being away from home (such as I). 3 stars out of 5