As a drama movie, “Up in the Air” does not have hot scenes and complex plot, and the charm of this kind of film is a simple and simple behind the thorough and mellow.
1.Story line one
Ryan’s (played by George Clooney) job is to fire employees for other companies. To do this, he needs to fly from city to city. So, traveling 300 days a year is all he has to live for. Natalie (played by Anna Kendrick) is a college graduate. She joins Ryan’s company and sets up a web video system. The ecological approach of the new media makes the business of layoffs easy and hassle-free, and makes Ryan’s job seem pointless. So, here comes the paradox. Ryan believes that only real face-to-face communication can calm the unstable emotions of the “outliers” and thus avoid disputes for corporate clients. Natalie believes that remote video layoffs are also “face-to-face”, and more importantly, can save the company 80% of the work costs. One is a long-time workplace uncle, one is a fledgling girl. The tit-for-tat between the two made whether the new system was on line an urgent issue to be resolved.
The company’s senior management decided to follow up a few single business to on-site layoffs and video layoffs, by Ryan and Natalie together to complete. Ok, a trip to the heart, so it began.
Natalie asked, “What’s the point of flying day in and day out on business trips?”
Ryan replied, “I want to accumulate 10 million airline miles.”
Natalie asked again, “What if you reach 10 million miles?”
Ryan replied, “You’ll have a gold card with your name engraved on it ……”
Natalie said, “If I have 10 million miles, I’ll just point to a random place on the map to travel ……”
2.Story Line Two
Ryan’s flight never seems to end. And for that, he enjoys it. If feeling the helplessness and uncertainty of a laid-off employee is a bittersweet process. Then, meeting a stranger is the highlight of the process. In an airport bar, he meets Alex (Vera Farmiga), a woman who also “flies around”. After a quick fling, Ryan and she exchange itineraries. The world is a big place, but there is always a destination, and the intersection of different routes is a “refueling station” for their short stops. A piece of work, a flight, a date. The game of make-believe and real life, Ryan thought his life guidelines were clear but gradually became blurred. Until one snowy night, he quietly flew to Alex’s city and knocked on her door. What he saw was a mother of two. Ryan turned to leave, and behind her she was whispering, “Nothing dear, just someone who got lost.”
3.Story line three
Doesn’t Ryan have a family? No. He has a long-divorced sister and a sister who is getting married. To his sister, her brother never seemed to exist. To his sister, her brother doesn’t seem to care about her. This time, however, Ryan is reluctantly entrusted by his sister to help her fulfill a wish. Although this wish seems absurd to Ryan, he still “reluctantly” did it. Because the photos of his sister and fiancé posed with landmarks around the country, for Ryan is just a piggyback job. At his sister’s wedding, the prospective brother-in-law backs out, and Ryan, a man who doesn’t care about love or marriage, is tasked with getting his brother-in-law back on the “right track”. What will he say? What will he do?
Movie Review
The film consists of the three story lines mentioned above, each of which intersects with each other and has a high degree of integration of character relationships. For example, how do you evaluate the character of Ryan, the hero? At work, he focuses on people-oriented, emphasizing the need to establish a reciprocal and frank interpersonal relationship with the subject of the layoff. In life, however, he always keeps to himself, rejecting all the elements of relationship necessary for real life. Is it contradictory? This is nothing more than the falsity and selfishness of adults. Another example is Natalie, how do you see this character? At work, she pursues efficiency and profit, ignoring the emotional value of “human beings”, which eventually led to the death of the laid-off employee’s suicide. In life, she is bold love and hate, revealing the true feelings of the little girl. Is it contradictory? This is just the youthfulness and naivety of young people. Another example is Alex, how to define this role? The author believes that she is a combination of Ryan and Natalie. She is a charming lover when she is away on business. Back home, she is a good wife and mother. Between the two kinds of relationships, she is at ease. Need a moral judgment? No, for Alex, this is the most balanced emotional relationship.
In the movie, such three characters influence each other.
In the end, who loses and who wins? At the end of the film, Natalie quits her job and Ryan writes a job recommendation letter for her. Alex tells Ryan to continue to meet if needed. Ryan, on the other hand, is suspended as a new system comes online and he will again embark on his days in the clouds. But, 10 million miles of flying had been achieved.
Where will he be next ahead?