Review of "Up in the Air"

This film hit me hard and where do I start? Jason Reitman, who wrote and directed the film, gives us the story of a man living in the disconnected and isolated world of the business of firing, travel, convenience and luggage. The heartfelt performances by George Clooney and Anna Kedrick keep this disillusioned adventure captivating and thoughtful. I enjoyed the film as Clooney carried us through his characters journey to discovering connections with his family, lover, and friends. The journey he takes bends and Reitman becomes a bit preachy as Clooney's character learns that the value in his life has been in collecting meaningless "club points" rather than pursuing friendships, commitment and the dream of the American family. Reitman balances the decisions his main characters make with the unveiled truth that there are not easy, one sided answers or solutions to the problems in our lives; People are not always as they seem, the institution of marriage is not for everyone and in the face of the meaninglessness of it all, we must carry on. Oscar worthy? Definitely. See it or skip it? See it, as it seems to capture the struggles all of us are facing in this recession, points us towards the future and although it ends without giving us all of the answers, shows us that the relationships in our lives are worth having, given the alternative.