UP IN THE AIR (no spoilers)
moviePig
NOT SMOKING. That was probably a good idea, if only to blunt their
striking surface-similarities. As with George Clooney's previous
Oscar-effort MICHAEL CLAYTON, I wasn't quite sure what of substance
this engaging movie left me with. Nevertheless, it gets good style-
points for being always smart, and for knowing exactly at which
moments to back away from its comedy-fantasy and towards a nearby
edge. UP IN THE AIR is lighter-than-air fare, but well
prepared ...and well recommended.
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YOUR taste at work...
http://www.moviepig.com
Mr. Hole the Magnificent
> edge. UP IN THE AIR is lighter-than-air fare,
Kind of a misrepresentation there Piggy, methinks.
moviePig
Well, no, it's not a Sandra Bullock souffle, but neither did I find
much in it that sticks to the ribs. It seemed to me a lot more hip
than heavy...
Mr. Hole the Magnificent
> On Jan 7, 10:05 pm, "Mr. Hole the Magnificent"
>
> <classic.mr.h...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Jan 7, 1:24 pm, moviePig <pwall...@moviepig.com> wrote:
>
> > > edge. UP IN THE AIR is lighter-than-air fare,
>
> > Kind of a misrepresentation there Piggy, methinks.
>
> Well, no, it's not a Sandra Bullock souffle, but neither did I find
> much in it that sticks to the ribs. It seemed to me a lot more hip
> than heavy...
Your situation may vary, but I saw it with someone that had recently
been laid off after working at the same place for 47 years.
moviePig
<classic.mr.h...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jan 7, 8:47 pm, moviePig <pwall...@moviepig.com> wrote:
>
> > On Jan 7, 10:05 pm, "Mr. Hole the Magnificent"
>
> > <classic.mr.h...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On Jan 7, 1:24 pm, moviePig <pwall...@moviepig.com> wrote:
>
> > > > edge. UP IN THE AIR is lighter-than-air fare,
>
> > > Kind of a misrepresentation there Piggy, methinks.
>
> > Well, no, it's not a Sandra Bullock souffle, but neither did I find
> > much in it that sticks to the ribs. It seemed to me a lot more hip
> > than heavy...
>
> Your situation may vary, but I saw it with someone that had recently
> been laid off after working at the same place for 47 years.
Indeed, that could hang a bit of crepe. And, admittedly, graveyard
humor does happen in a graveyard...
nick
> On Jan 7, 10:05 pm, "Mr. Hole the Magnificent"
>
> <classic.mr.h...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Jan 7, 1:24 pm, moviePig <pwall...@moviepig.com> wrote:
>
> > > edge. UP IN THE AIR is lighter-than-air fare,
>
> > Kind of a misrepresentation there Piggy, methinks.
>
> Well, no, it's not a Sandra Bullock souffle, but neither did I find
> much in it that sticks to the ribs. It seemed to me a lot more hip
> than heavy...
>
after reading a sample chapter on Amazon. I get the impression the
plot is different. In the book it looks like he's trying to get his
millionth frequent flier mile (upped to 10 million for the movie
version) before his boss gets back from vacation and finds out he
turned in a letter of resignation. Jason Reitman said something like
the novel is the story of a man losing it, while the film is the story
of a man finding it, which is a pretty good description of the
difference between American literature and American movies.
I enjoyed Up in the Air a lot though I can't imagine it working nearly
as well with any other leading male but George Clooney.
moviePig
Well, you'd have to at least consider Aaron Eckhart, if only to see
what *else* the filmmakers could've carried over from THANK YOU FOR
SMOKING (...which carryover could explain the novel-to-film
reorientation you describe, btw). Meanwhile, I'm not sure I'd agree
that Clooney "found it". "Found it out", maybe...
Mr. Hole the Magnificent
> On Jan 7, 11:47 pm, moviePig <pwall...@moviepig.com> wrote:> On Jan 7, 10:05 pm, "Mr. Hole the Magnificent"
>
> > <classic.mr.h...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On Jan 7, 1:24 pm, moviePig <pwall...@moviepig.com> wrote:
>
> > > > edge. UP IN THE AIR is lighter-than-air fare,
>
> > > Kind of a misrepresentation there Piggy, methinks.
>
> > Well, no, it's not a Sandra Bullock souffle, but neither did I find
> > much in it that sticks to the ribs. It seemed to me a lot more hip
> > than heavy...
>
> Have you read the novel by Walter Kim? It's next on my reading list
> after reading a sample chapter on Amazon. I get the impression the
> plot is different. In the book it looks like he's trying to get his
> millionth frequent flier mile (upped to 10 million for the movie
> version) before his boss gets back from vacation and finds out he
> turned in a letter of resignation. Jason Reitman said something like
> the novel is the story of a man losing it, while the film is the story
> of a man finding it, which is a pretty good description of the
> difference between American literature and American movies.
I liked the film too, but felt it does not deserve to be atop so many
best of lists.
I would have liked the film even more if it had ended with the pull
away shot of Clooney all alone in his hotel room after finding out
about her.
Mr. Hole the Magnificent
>
> > <classic.mr.h...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On Jan 7, 1:24 pm, moviePig <pwall...@moviepig.com> wrote:
>
> > > > edge. UP IN THE AIR is lighter-than-air fare,
>
> > > Kind of a misrepresentation there Piggy, methinks.
>
> > Well, no, it's not a Sandra Bullock souffle, but neither did I find
> > much in it that sticks to the ribs. It seemed to me a lot more hip
> > than heavy...
>
> Have you read the novel by Walter Kim? It's next on my reading list
> after reading a sample chapter on Amazon. I get the impression the
> plot is different.
Well, I think the book was written almost a decade ago, I heard part
of n interview with the author on NPR, since writing the book he too
has been fired from a job at the magazine he once wrote for.
nick
>
> - Show quoted text -
But the last shot in Up in the Air is the best part. That "finding
out about her" scene, though, has been used in about literally a
thousand times before in movies and television. It's too soap opera.
That and his "gift" at the end--it's meant to show character growth
but it was too telegraphed--were the only things I was bothered by.
Yeah, as Best Picture material . . . I can see a popular uprising
against Hollywood if Up in the Air beats out Avatar.
It's easy to imagine Up in the Air as a 30s screwball comedy. I see
William Powell travelling around the country in a train during the
repressing, firing people for bosses too spineless to do it on their
own (Clooney called those bosses "pussies"; Powell would just call
them "nincompoops" or something like that), with maybe Myrna Loy or
Barbara Stanwyk along for the ride.
moviePig
For its first two acts, I thought UItA *was* a '30s screwball
comedy' ...even including the funny but candid 3-way dialogue in the
airport lounge. And, yeah, his gift did show a softening, but I don't
think it went as far as lethal 'character growth'... (and, even if it
did, help was on the way...)
Sir Blob
its ok
zox625
Shouldn't such a person be ready to RETIRE, anyway?
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