Reviews: Up in the Air (2009), In the Loop (2009), and Adventureland (2009)

Title: Up in the Air
Year: 2009
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick
Genres: Drama, Comedy, Romance
MPAA: R for language and some sexual content
Kids-In-Mind.com: 6.2.7
My Rating: 9.3
Up or Down: Thumb Up
IMDb Rating: 8.3

Synopsis: Ryan Bingham (Clooney) travels around the country to fire people from their jobs as a living. He spends over two-thirds of each year away from home. He loathes the idea that one would put their life into emotional relationships and has, as such, distanced himself from his family and has no girlfriend or wife. When he meets Alex (Farmiga), who, like he, travels around the country often, he's presented with an internal conflict as to whether he wants to keep this relationship as permanent or keep their relationship casual and friendly. With the help of young co-worker Natalie Keener (Kendrick), whom he's been assigned to help learn the business, he struggles as the philosophy that has guided his life to this point begins to abandon him.

My Take: This film should win Best Picture in March. Clooney's acting is outstanding and likewise deserves Best Actor as he so well displays the emotional conflicts that have stricken Ryan Bingham. Farmiga and Kendrick are equally outstanding in their respective roles. Many film critics associations nationwide, including Utah's, have named this the best film of the year. They are absolutely correct. Up in the Air is an exceptional study of the way many have slowly distanced themselves from personal relationships. I can't adequately communicate how superb this film is. Just go see it.


Title: In the Loop
Year: 2009
Starring: Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Chris Addison
Genres: Comedy, Political
MPAA: Not Rated (Likely R for language and sexuality)
Kids-In-Mind.com: N/A (Approx. 6.2.10)
My Rating: 9.2
Up or Down: Thumb Up
IMDb Rating: 7.7

Synopsis: UK Minister for International Affairs Simon Foster (Hollander) makes two media gaffs within a day of one another, advocating for two opposite policies toward a potential war in the Middle East. The UK Prime Minister and the President of the United States both advocate for a war, while Simon's true feelings are against the war. Nevertheless, he and his statements are used in a political game involving two US Assistant Secretaries of State and a US General. All this time, he's being persuaded by the PM's media relations guy, the profane Malcolm Tucker (Capaldi) and being assisted by his young new assistant Toby (Addison). Lols ensue.

My Take: My synopsis makes this movie sound like a political bore. However, it's absolutely hysterical. As each side of the issue attempts to use Foster for their own side, and the lengths to which each side goes to get their position passed as UN policy makes for incredible laughs. This was a Sundance '09 film and never got a wide theatrical release in the US; they therefore didn't need an MPAA rating. Up in the Air is my favorite film of the year; this is a close second.


Title: Adventureland
Year: 2009
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart
Genres: Drama, Comedy, Romance
MPAA: R for language, drug use and sexual references.
Kids-In-Mind.com: 7.4.10
My Rating: 9.1
Up or Down: Thumb Up
IMDb Rating: 7.2

Synopsis: College senior James Brennan (Eisenberg) is looking forward to a graduation trip to Europe, but doesn't have the money. His parents can't help out with the funding as his dad recently got a new, lower-paying job. He's forced to take a job a the amusement park Adventureland, in Pittsburgh, PA. There he meets a number of friends, including Em Lewin (Stewart), with whom he forms a relationship. She, meanwhile, is in a secret relationship with the park mechanic, a married man and is hesitant to turn her relationship with James sexual. When James finds that she's unwilling to turn their relationship sexual, he goes on a date with the park slut, making out with her toward the end. When Em finds out, she determines to end her relationship with the park mechanic. James learns of their affair at this time and ambushes her when she's coming out of breaking up, thinking she's coming out of another session. James calls her an idiot, prompting her to quit her job. He drinks too much that night and wrecks his parents' car. He has to use his Europe money to fix the car. He heads to grad school in New York City, where he meets Em again. The movie ends with a reconciliation.

My Take: This film has nothing going for it on the surface. It was marketed as another Superbad, with slapstick humor and superficial guys looking for sex. This is as inaccurate as it gets. This is a romantic drama with a few comedic moments, plain and simple. The thing about it, though, that really got me, was the uncanniness in the way they were able to project the feelings and sexuality of being a teenager. Stewart in particular was outstanding in the film. Her performance played a large part in turning this would-be just-another-stupid-teen-comedy into a superb teen dramedy. I'm not afraid to say that this is my favorite teen film of all time, even beating out such films as "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Zombieland", both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Comment below or e-mail me at richard@movienightreviews.net.