Rockhurst Sentinel

Issue date: 2/1/10 Section: Entertainment

It is always a good idea to have goals in your life. Whether these life goals include owning successful businesses, raising a good and loving family, or completing the 'Blazing Challenge' at the Buffalo Wild Wings is dependent upon your own ambitions. For Ryan Bingham, played by George Clooney in the comedic satire "Up in the Air," the goal was to travel 10 million miles in an airplane. With a job like flying around the country firing people, this goal for Ryan was within reach! With the help of another frequent flier Alex Goran, cast by Vera Farmiga, Ryan learns there may be a lot more to life that he is missing because of his lifestyle.

Jason Reitman, the director of this film, drew from his own life experiences while writing this movie. "There is always something pulling on you to unplug from life. I became a director, a guy who wants to do something different every year. I'm trying to reconcile that with being a family man now." He captures the choices that we make throughout our life relating to relationships and lifestyle choices and puts in on the big screen for everyone to reflect on. He wants us to watch the film and then look at our lives to see where we are not capturing it all.

Continual personal improvement is the best way to live a happy and productive life. This was the main underlying principle that stood out throughout this film. In "Up in the Air," Ryan was set in his ways as an independent man that was void of personal relationships that most of us take for granted. He felt this was the perfect lifestyle fit for him, but the realization that develops throughout this film might warn other people with similar lives to take a step back and look at what is truly important.

Filled with memorable lines and even better characters (Zach Galifianakis from "The Hangover" even makes an appearance), "Up in the Air" will resonate with all types of movie goers and will leave them satisfied well after the credits roll.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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