Clooney, Farmiga, Kendrick: All Up In the Air

Minor Spoilers Ahead

      

Jason Reiteman is a director I’ve always wanted to like. His debut Thank You For Smoking made my top ten of the year even though it was a flawed film, but I just could not be a fan of Juno regardless of what Ebert and thousands of others claimed. This season’s laurels have been thrown left and right at his Up In the Air – a film I was uncertain of going into it. The film centres on George Clooney’s Ryan, a man who hopes to attain ten million flyer miles whilst doing his job – firing people. He meets a female version of himself in Vera Farmiga while juggling with the new ingénue at his office played by Twilight star Anna Kendrick. This is Up In the Air.

                              

I wonder if I’m a flawed critic, but then again – who isn’t?. I didn’t think I’d like this going in. Clooney is not a draw for me and other than Farmiga I didn’t really love the whole idea of this film. Up In the Air is the perfect example of a film whose ostensible merits are lost on me. I didn’t expect to be blown away by Clooney’s performance, and I wasn’t. I know that George Clooney only plays George Clooney so I could let that ride, because that’s how it goes. However, I cannot discern even any attempt at layering the character like he attempted in Michael Clayton, which I didn’t like very much either. For the first three quarters of the film we’re led to believe that Ryan is the ultimate bachelor as he mitigates the point of marriage and children. Towards the end after an epiphany, which is altogether too artificial, he reaches out to the woman in his life, and fails. But I can’t care that he’s crush because I’ve seen no change in the character. His face looks sad, but there’s never that personal feeling. That's because Clooney doesn't even look like he's trying Ryan doesn’t really change and the subtlety that the role seems to call for is lost on Clooney.

But on to the women. I mentioned Farmiga was my biggest draw and I was disappointed. Certainly she’s the best thing in the film, but even as she creates Alex as this ultra snazzy and smart woman I can’t deny the fact that she’s obviously acting. It’s the same problem I had with Ellen Page’s Juno. I see an actress acting, and not a person. Mind you with Farmiga it’s better, but still not all there. It’s only until the second half that I distinguish any authentic life in the character and by then the film is so disinterested in her uniqueness that it’s all for naught. Certainly, I may be a bit harsh on her because I expected so much, but this is not as good a performance as she can do. I will admit that her final scene is better than any prior scene. But though it’s enough to make me forgive I can’t forget what went before.

                                          

However the most mind boggling element has to be the much lauded Ann Kendrick. I’m in the minority on this one, but I don’t care. Whereas Farmiga and Page were fair to good examples of actors acting, Kendrick doesn’t even do that much for me. It’s an example of a girl trying to act – and failing horribly. That breakdown scene in the airport still confounds me a day and a half later at its insanity Kendrick’s crying makes me cringe, and not from the reality of it – but from the ridiculousness of it all which strikes me as so contrived. Something is probably lost on me, but I really don’t understand how she has turned into the runner up [albeit a distant one] of the supporting race which actually has more to offer than Mo’Nique’s powerhouse turn. 

            

What exactly is it about Up In the Air that makes it a film of the times? Is it because it deals with unemployment? It’s not the first film that asks us to root for the hero who is actually quite despicable but Up In the Air doesn’t even seem to realise that Ryan is despicable. In Thank You For Smoking at least Eckhart knew he wasn’t perfect, that was the whole point of it. When Alex shows her colours I don't feel anything. Why should I? I've spent the entire film feeling that there was no value to this relationship, and Reiteman does nothing to make me rethink that. That pithy final montage of Ryan returning to his ways plays and we can feel Reiteman trying to pull at heart strings – but there’s nothing there to pull. And that scene with the unemployed just feels so peripheral and superfluous. Were we really supposed to be buying that BS Ryan was selling about the goodness of being fired?
         
Up In the Air works as a pleasant, if uninspired film, but above that I really can't feel like the rest of the population. It just leaves me, unmoved. Reiteman has done his least impressive piece for me here.

                       

C- [D+?]

    
Speak up. What are your thoughts on UP IN THE AIR?

The Supporting Actress Race

American Thanksgiving has come and gone and as December begins and Christmas draws nearer a young movie blogger’s fancy turns to Oscar buzz. It seems the norm. as the year draws nearer, all the prestige pictures are released and we can’t help but contemplate who will win what – and we predict. But I don’t predict the Oscars. I just don’t have the heart. Sure when it’s a few days before I’ll get a list of who I think will we nominated. I’m actually quite good at that, but I don’t have the longevity like some for year round predictions. I suppose then you’re wondering what exactly the title of this post means.

               

I’ve seen a little over thirty films of 2009 so far – not outstanding, but considering it’s not that bad. I’m already wondering what my own personal awards will look like next February. There are a host of films I’ve yet to see. But that only makes it interesting. Still, with only a few important titles under my belt I’ve already taken a liking to a few of the Supporting Women in films I’ve seen thus far. So I’ll take a look at them whilst looking ahead at the women who’re likely to uproot them.

           

CURRENT TOP 5

Maria Bello in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Kristin Chenoweth in Into Temptation

Patricia Clarkson in Whatever Works

Marion Cotillard in Public Enemies

Diane Kruger in Inglourious Basterds

              

Each of these five women with their limited roles do much to improve their respective films. I’d have loved to have any of these women in my top 5 in any particular year, so I must pay tribute to them now since it’s likely that few if any will remain in my top ten by the time I’ve seen all the films I want to.

            

ENSEMBLE FILMS TO LOOK OUT FOR

Nine: Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench perhaps Nicole Kidman or Kate Hudson

I know Cotillard is being campaigned in lead, but she’ll probably be supporting for me. If Nine hold up it could easily take three spots in my end of year awards.

      

The Lovely Bones: Susan Sarandon and Rachel Weisz

It’s very possible to see both these women taking a spot in my top ten or even the top 5. I’m looking forward especially to Susan Sarandon who was probably my favourite actress of the nineties.

         

Precious: MoNique, Mariah Carey perhaps Paula Patton

I won’t try to escape the buzz for Precious. I wonder if MoNique will top my awards... Still I am a fan of hers and she could very well take a place, and if Mariah is as amazing as they say, who knows?

          

Up In the Air: Vera Farmiga or Anna Kendrick

Vera Farmiga is my biggest draw to this film, and if she’s good she could end up here. I’ve been hearing good things about Kendrick, so she too could make a play for it.

           

PERFORMANCES THAT COULD IMPRESS

Julianne Moore in A Single Man: With a little cameo she’s scintillating in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee in a nondescript role. I only wonder what she’ll do with a proper role here. I hope she doesn’t disappoint.

     

Natalie Portman in Brothers: I’m keeping my fingers crossed here. The trailer seemed promising enough.

                 

Drew Barymore in Everybody’s Fine: No one’s predicting this, but not being Oscar worthy doesn’t mean I won’t like it. Maybe I’ll like it, or maybe I won’t. But I’m looking out.

                  

Rosamund Pike in An Education: I was a fan of this young lady in Pride & Prejudice. I’ve never been a hater of a performance based on screen time, and regardless of how short this is, if I’m impressed so be it. we’ll see…

                

Marcia Gay Harden in Whip It: I should have seen this by now. Marcia has topped my Year End Supporting Actress list twice, will this be enough to land her there again? I doubt…but she could be in the running.

Everyone's A Little Bit Racist

With all the recent [and deafening] buzz surrounding the prospective chances of Precious taking home a crap load of prizes at next year’s Oscars I couldn’t help but assess the cultural implications of a potential win for the film. There are two things I’ve been hearing about for ages since I’ve been taking notice of that guy called Oscar. One is that Oscar is homophobic. Two, Oscar is racist. I'm not gay, so I can’t fairly assess the former. But as a black person I’ll look at the latter.

It is a fact that the number of black persons who have been Oscar winners and nominees is a small fraction of the white winners and nominees but I don’t see how this is proof of the Academy’s racism. I’ve heard the fact that losses of Eddie Murphy, Whoopi Goldberg, Cicely Tyson, Viola Davis, Angela Bassett and countless others are all proof that Oscar hates the blacks. But as a black person myself, I really don’t see how this claim can be substantiated. The number of black actors (directors, writers etc) is much smaller than the number of whites. There is a reason that black people are regarded as a minority in America. And notwithstanding, if it comes down to two performances of equal merit, should Oscar reward the black person just because they’re black?

                   

Writing this, the topic of Denzel Washington came to mind. I don’t like him much. The guy has two Oscars, he’s a good box office draw and he’s well liked and famous. When I told this to a classmate of mine that I didn’t like him [but liked Pitt, Depp, etc] she said I was a racist – yes I’m black. But my dislike of Washington has nothing to do with his race. If for some inexplicable reason I was contestant on Jeopardy and for some reason Alex Trebeck’s clue was “The white Denzel Washington” I’d promptly answer Tom Hanks. I don’t like him either. The two actors are different sides of the same coin for me. Both are popular, two Oscars each, and bland as far as I’m concerned. But at least Washington stars in good films. Most of the time, at least. Which I can't really say for many black actors.

Isn’t the lack of blacks at the Oscars a reflection of lack of substantial good performances? Sure, Oscar isn’t omniscient and we don’t always agree with some of the choices that they make but I can’t remember when a film or actor has been snubbed completely for being black – I can’t remember it seeming like that either. And no, Dreamgirls cannot be an example. Yes Condon and Company [mainly white] were snubbed in the main categories, but Hudson [who was less deserving that Condon and Co. would have been] was nominated and went on to win. And if we’re going to talk about Dreamgirls being snubbed despite a mass of nods what of They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? or The Poseidon Adventure or even The Dark Knight. They each earned multiple nods with no correlating best picture nod. Nothing to do with being black.

                           

Precious isn’t at the top of my list as far as the possible Oscar contenders I’m yet to see goes but I wouldn’t grudge it if it wins. But I hope it doesn’t win it doesn’t turn into a march against Oscar’s racism. Who knows? Maybe, I’ll see it and think it’s perfect but perfection doesn’t always win. So I wouldn’t throw the race factor into it. To be honest though, all the recent buzz for it has made me hope it doesn’t win the Oscar. This reminds of last year when in the thunderous rise of Obama I was hoping that Hillary  Clinton would pull an upset. Not only because she turned into the underdog, but I just liked her more. I remember people saying I was a bad black person. Obama's black, a win for him would be historic etc, etc,  so I should like him. But I’ve never been one to defend something based on race. But the whole issue has become somewhat exacerbated by the comment I read where someone said that you should like Precious because it’s excellent and if you don’t you’re a racist.

                      

I mean, WTF? But who knows? Maybe I’m racist. What do you think?