The recently released, heavily anticipated (especially among St. Louis natives and frequenters of the Lambert-St. Louis airport) film Up In the Air, starring George Clooney, came as somewhat of a surprise to many, if not most, of its viewers.

In keeping with my goal for winter break–to see as many movies as possible–I attended this film at the Moolah theater on a chilly December evening, hoping to blow off some steam after several brutal final exams.  I was not surprised to see that most of the crowd was composed of middle aged couples, looking forward to a relaxing night lounging on the Moolah’s inviting couches and relishing another appearance of Clooney, probably an old favorite, an actor who at least shared their seniority.  The film was not, however, the relaxed, mellow, dry comedy I had expected.

The lead (played, of course, by a slightly graying but nonetheless rougishly attractive George Clooney) was the character of Ryan Bingham, an established professional who was secure in his job and seemingly relished it.  Here, the first twist emerged: Bingham is not, as one might expect, a mere working drone in the corner office of a law firm, or a leading surgeon at a highly regarded medical facility, or even an airline executive, as the film’s title may have implied.  No, his occupation is much more intriguing than that.  Bingham works for a company that executives hire to fire their unwanted employees.  And Bingham himself, dressed impeccably in dark suits and appropriately mute ties, is the one who delivers this somber news.

Bingham is wary of personal connection or any committed relationship to another person, and this is strongly evidenced by his lack of connection even to his own family.  His apartment is barely even furnished, since he spends so much time on airplanes.  In fact, the only hint of a true relationship we see from Bingham is his flirtatious romance with Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), another frequent traveler.

But Bingham’s world is drastically changed when a young woman, Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), struts onto the scene, eager to prove her worth among her new peers.  She introduces a new concept: instead of spending money traveling to every business to personally fire each employee, why not make use of technology and instead perform the service through videochat?

Of course, Bingham is immediately and vehemently opposed to this change in not only his job, but his way of life.  He protests to his boss, who suggests that Bingham take young Natalie “on the road” with him to “show her the ropes”.  Bingham begrudgingly agrees; and this is where our story begins.

The film was balanced in all parts: it included just the right amounts of wry humor, playful dialogue, subtle yet evident commentary, and melancholy mood swings.

The acting was persuasive and convincing, especially that of Clooney.  He portrayed perfectly the transition of his character from a disconnected, “empty backpack” to a (perhaps even more depressing) man longing for a human connection, only to be denied by those he tries to love.

The audience which accompanied me as the story unraveled probably felt a deeper connection even than I did.  This is because the film is not only about one man’s philosophical and emotional crisis, but also, and on a more practical level, about a changing lifestyle.

I recently heard on an NPR question-answer session a query posed to the American public: Have the rapid developments recently achieved in the field of technology hurt or helped our society?

This question connects quite nicely back to the premise of the film: Bingham has essentially become useless, and has been pushed out by a peice of machinery that is equally capable of doing his job.

As a character, Bingham’s materialistic lifestyle (embodied by his goal of 10 million frequent flyer miles) initially turned me away from him.  But as the film progressed, I began to realize that he was a lost soul, a wandering vagabond, who, confronted with sudden change and instability, finds his world turned upside-down.  The only emotion I felt, at the film’s conclusion, was a lurking bleakness and pity for him.

The film was more complex than what meets the eye.  In fact, to understand it fully and to take in all it has to offer, I will have to watch it again–and more attentively this time.  But the messages it has to offer are powerful.  The importance of human connections, the inevitability of change, and the value of both resilience and dependence are among the most evident.

For viewers looking to be astonished by exciting action scenes, marvelous special effects or heart-wrenching drama, this film will not fit the bill.  However, for those in search of intellectual and emotional stimulation, Up in the Air will certainly do the trick.  It is a quiet film that has, nonetheless, emerged as a tremendous success.