How do you de-Clooney George Clooney?

From Clooney’s work with Soderbergh, back to his stint on ER, the man oozes charisma and charm. He epitomizes calm, cool and collected.
Director Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You for Smoking) knew exactly what he wanted from the star in his latest film, Up In the Air. Luckily for us, it seems he knew exactly how to get it. He pulled the rug out from George’s shiny wingtips.

Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a consultant for companies going through downsizings. In other words, he fires people for a living. He flies all over the country, amassing his prized frequent flyer mileage, spending the majority of his time in airport lounges and hotel rooms. Certainly an isolationist’s life, Bingham swears by it. He even gives “motivational” seminars on how to live like he does, with nothing in “the backpack.”

When asked by family how he can live life alone, he simply defies their assertion, saying that he is “surrounded,” referring to the bustling masses he navigates daily as he treks through airport terminals and rental car counters.

Enter the two women who proceed to turn Ryan’s life inside out.

First, you have Alex, played by Vera Farmiga. After meeting each other at a hotel bar, Ryan and Alex soon discover that they are very similar creatures. There is a wonderful scene where the two travel-happy companions compare the contents of their wallets, revealing hotel chain memberships, frequent flyer cards, etc. The actors do a wonderful job of building sexual tension over talk of their VIP airport lounge memberships and frequent flyer mileage aspirations.

Next, we have Natalie (Anna Kendricks). We all know someone like her. She’s young, and addicted to her Blackberry. Her clothes are perfect, and she is always on time. Natalie is committed to doing what ever it takes to climb the corporate ladder. She puts up a good front, although it turns out, a paper thin one. An up-and-comer at Ryan’s firm, Natalie has convinced management that they can save costs if they fire people via teleconference vs. in-person. No more flying consultants around the country, they can all stay put at home office and fire by “Skype”. As you can imagine, to Ryan this equates to the loss of his existence, one that he isn’t willing to give up without a fight. He convinces management to send Natalie out on the road with him, so that she can get a sense for what he does.

It is at this point where Up In the Air begins to reveal itself as a very topical film, particularly here in the Midwest where the nation’s economic downturn has hit especially hard.

It especially hit home with me, as I went through my own lay-off experience back in 2008.

There are heart-wrenching scenes throughout this sequence, where everyday people are told that their employers no longer need them. What is especially different in the case of “Air”, is that the majority of those fired on film weren’t actors, but recently displaced workers who agreed to re-enact their experiences on camera. Knowing this going into the film made it all the more effective. After all, I was one of them. I got a packet and everything.

Ryan continues to see Alex while out on the road with Natalie, allowing her more access to his world than anyone before. At the same time, he opens Natalie’s eyes to the impact their actions have on the lives of those being terminated.

When Clooney’s Bingham is finally confronted with emotional investment in others, the results prove both heart-warming, and heart breaking. His vulnerability is something that stretches what we thought Clooney’s boundaries were as an actor, and it is also what elevates the film from being good to exceptional.