Hail, Caesar! (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 106 minutes
Directors/Writers: Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Alden Ehrenreich, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Frances McDormand, Alison Pill

Hail, Caesar! opens in Australian cinemas on February 25 and now showing in the United States. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Joel and Ethan Coen have penned the ultimate love letter to old Hollywood with Hail, Caesar! The film is a masterpiece in the eyes of those who are fascinated with the golden age of Hollywood, but with it's entertaining screenplay and stunning visual production can be enjoyed on a much larger scale by all audiences.

It would seem that Hollywood studio fixer, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) really has his work cut out for him today. His daily job consists of keeping the contract players of Capitol Pictures in line and making sure that the public continues to see them in the best light possible, especially with tabloid reporters, Thora Thacker and her sister, Thessaly (both portrayed by Tilda Swinton) prowling the studio. When one of their biggest stars, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) is abducted during the filming of a production of epic proportions, Mannix must try and conceal the true nature of his disappearance as well as bide by his kidnappers demands. All this while making sure Capitol Pictures is still running smoothly around this scandal and that the stars, including starlet DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson) and cowboy turned drama star, Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) are causing as little trouble as possible.

Hail, Caesar! is absolutely immersed in references to the golden age of Hollywood. To truly understand the extent of how much the film is cleverly inspired by the Southern California film industry of the 1950's, one must already possess a certain amount of knowledge and fascination regarding this era. However, it is not a prerequisite to find incredible enjoyment in the film by any means. Hail, Caesar! is a great deal of fun with it's hilarious screenplay featuring colourful characters in the most entertaining of scenarios. The Coen brothers screenplay is unique to their films because although there is the main storyline of Baird Whitlock's abduction, it is not the strong, solid heart of the film and this is fine because that's not what it's supposed to be. Hail, Caesar! is a portrait of Hollywood history in a time now long gone and doesn't focus on just one aspect, but instead focuses on the industry and it's inner workings as a whole.

The nostalgic film with it's glorious production and costume design (by Jess Gonchor and Mary Zophres) is a mixture of old Hollywood fact and fiction. However, even the fictionalized aspects of Hail, Caesar! are based on and reference true to life elements of 1950's Hollywood. How much of old Hollywood that is acutely incorporated into the film visually and as part of it's screenplay is astounding and this would not have been able to so if Hail, Caesar! was only focused primarily on the Baird Whitlock abduction.

Capitol Pictures is a product of the Coen brothers' imagination, but it is evidently based on the legendary Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) which is considered by many to have been the greatest of the old Hollywood studios. The fictional studio visually resembles MGM, particularly the side gates, but perhaps the biggest resemblance is the fact that MGM did indeed have a fixer by the name of Eddie Mannix who worked for the studio covering up many a celebrity scandal. However, the similarities between the real life Mannix and Josh Brolin's Mannix end there. While the Mannix of Hail, Caesar! is affable, likable and a man looking for a way to spend time with his family, the real life Mannix had to cover up more sinister events and earned an unsavoury reputation. He was personally linked to the death of Superman actor, George Reeves as his wife, Toni was having an affair with Reeves. Brolin's Mannix makes for a more appropriate hero in Hail, Caesar! with his strong conscience, as he wants to do the right thing and worries that his job prevents him from doing what is honest.

The Coen brothers once again give George Clooney the opportunity to show his comedic ability and as Baird Whitlock he provides many a laugh. Clooney's Whitlock has the movie idol appeal while on set, but comes across as a less than intelligent being away from the camera which produces much hilarity. He comes in contact with a group not unlike the Hollywood 10, who were a group of screenwriters and producers in the 1950's that were Communist sympathizers (and who were also featured in the recent film, Trumbo).

Although Clooney is marketed as the member of the cast generating the most laughs, Alden Ehrenreich undoubtedly has the best comedic moments of the film. Ehrenreich plays Hobie Doyle, a young star of westerns who is given the news that the studio has decided to change his image and make him into a dramatic actor. He is also given instructions by Capitol to take actress, Carlotta Valdez (who, although her name is the same as the ill-fated women in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, is a character much like Carmen Miranda) to his movie premiere as his date, although he has never met her before. Hobie is a product of the studio system, where studios determined who they wanted their stars to be, how they were marketed and, in this case, who they dated. This was a system that would not always ensure success for their stars, as is shown in Hail, Caesar! with Hobie and his difficulty to transition into a serious actor with no warning. Ehrenreich is absolutely wonderful as Hobie as he generates a great deal of sympathy as a result of his terror not wanting to disappoint. With his natural comedic ability, he is so likable and relatable and manages to outshine many of his more well known co-stars.

Old Hollywood enthusiasts will jump on the obvious resemblance of Scarlett Johnasson's DeeAnna Moran to musical water baby, Esther Williams. Her mermaid sequence pays tribute to the Busby Berkeley musicals with their aerial shots and is truly exquisite with it's beautiful colours and costumes. Yet, when DeeAnna opens her mouth her resemblance to Williams ends there. DeeAnna is at the centre of a public relations nightmare and her case is the type of predicament which Hollywood fixers were hired to work on. DeeAnna's problem and the solution given by Mannix is actually very similar to what resulted from a flirtation between Loretta Young and a married Clark Gable in 1935 while they were filming The Call of The Wild  together.

Channing Tatum as Burt Gurney channels Gene Kelly during his song and dance routine, which is incredibly funny and entertaining. Tilda Swinton portrays both Thora and Thessaly Thackery, a particularly Coen-esque creation where twin columnist sisters are both competing to get the big scoop. The rivalry of Thora and Thessaly is much like the rivalry between Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, two old Hollywood gossip columnists who competed with each other over the big scoops from the studios. Swinton's characters display attributes which the two women both had, especially the ability to manipulate and blackmail in order to obtain the information they needed. It was important that the studio executives keep these two on their side and fed them newsworthy information, because being on their bad side could mean disaster for the studio and their stars.

Hail, Caesar! is genius in the way it incorporates so much of old Hollywood. It is an incredibly fun piece of cinema that pays tribute to the past in the most entertaining and enjoyable of ways.

9/10

Gravity (2013)

Year: 2013
Running Time: 91 minutes
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Writers: Alfonso Cuaron and Jonas Cuaron
Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris

Gravity is now showing in cinemas in Australia and is distributed by Roadshow. Opening in the USA on the 4th of October and the UK on the 8th of November 2013.

From the very first visual, you know you have entered into something very special with Gravity.

Alfonso Cuaron's latest film is extremely ambitious, but his risk has indeed paid off. Gravity is visual perfection accompanied by 90 minutes of on the edge of your seat tension. It reminds us of how something so beautiful can be the source of complete terror hundreds of kilometres above Earth. Even though there are some aspects of the screenplay which are not all they can be, these moments are forgiven as the rest of the film is so spectacular.

Medical engineer Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are undertaking a fairly straight forward routine maintenance on the space station when they are caught in a storm of satellite shrapnel. Their ship is destroyed and they are the only two survivors. They both begin their fight for survival on limited air and limited time.

Gravity is completely unsettling and extremely tense. The film begins with text reminding us that there is no air and therefore nothing to carry sound in space. It is completely silent and no existence can be made. It is the stuff that nightmares are made of. The enemy is all around you and you are on your own. Nobody can save you and your chance of survival is slim to none. This is what makes Gravity so terrifying as this is the situation Sandra Bullock's Stone finds herself in.

Yet for how terrifying the idea the fight for survival in this film is, it is just exquisite. Straight after the beginning text in the film comes one of the most amazing visuals ever seen in an opening of a film. As it is completely silent in space, there is no sound that accompanies an incredible panning out shot of the side of the Earth from space. After this breathless beginning, there are other absolutely stunning shots of the galaxy of stars and also more of the Earth is all it's glory below them. The end is also completely aesthetically pleasing. Director Alfonso Cuaron has ensured that the audience also see's this beauty in the optimum way. He employs 360 degree shots so that you are able to see both the characters and also plenty of the scenery. He has also made the interesting, but genius decision to allow the audience to be able to see exactly what Stone is seeing in particular key scenes. One particularly genius piece of film is when Stone is first separated from her ship and Kowalski and is spinning while she is trying to confirm a location. This puts the audience right in Stone's spacesuit and gives them the same sense of confusion and helplessness she feels from being thrown into the black, starry abyss. It is just unbelievable how far CGI has come and how it can make us feel as though we really are witnessing footage of outer space.

To be able to experience Gravity in it's full glory, it should absolutely be seen in 3D. There are so many films that have chosen to be made to accommodate 3D just because the technology is available. Gravity actually uses 3D to it's advantage and uses it so that it adds to the intensity of the film. Seeing Gravity on the biggest screen possible and combining 3D makes you feel like you are really in space and are feeling like you are being swallowed whole by the universe, much like the characters of Stone and Kowalski in the film.

This is a survival film, so the screenplay itself relies much more on film making methods rather than the story and script to create the tension. The script does allow for some cliché dialogue about survival that one would normally find in such a film. Also typical of the survival film is the unrealistic element of how much the lead can go through and not be beaten by it. However, who are we to say whether that is realistic or not considering the normal everyday person will never go into space so how do we know what would be possible and what wouldn't.

Sandra Bullock is to be given the highest praise for the film , not just because she gives a wonderful acting performance, but also because of how mentally and physically complicated the film and her character are. Bullock spends the majority of the film as the sole human being on screen and at only one point in time in the film does she have her feet on the ground. She is in a constant state of non-gravity and spends most of the film in her spacesuit. She does do an incredible job and gives a wonderful performance. George Clooney is good, but his character doesn't really give as much as what Bullock's does. He is likable and very funny, but one feels it is just George Clooney being George Clooney in space.

Gravity is an absolute cinematic spectacular. It is the one film you should definitely see in 3D this year to really get the full experience. Alfonso Cuaron has confirmed himself as one of the great filmmakers of our time with this beautiful film.

8.5/10




You may have also seen Sandra Bullock in...
The Blind Side as Leigh Anne Tuohy

You may have also seen George Clooney in....
The Ides of March as Mike Morris

The Ides Of March (2011)

The Ides Of March

Year: 2011

Director: George Clooney

Cast: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood

Before I begin my review…..

As awards season creeps closer, I and most probably all the other film geeks out there are expecting to see an increase in the calibre of films.

Honestly, I was expecting The Ides Of March to be one of the big contenders this year. Killer cast, director and a storyline that has a world of opportunities. Although there were actually some aspects of the film which I believe are quite magnificent, I’m hoping there are some films which are nominated and are of better calibre than this otherwise it symbolises a particularly mediocre year in film. I’m not saying I am writing The Ides of March off as far as Golden Globes and Oscars go as weirder things have happened and I know my opinions are not shared by everyone out there.

However, Ryan Gosling….I feel confident in saying that he will get a Golden Globe and perhaps even an Oscar nomination for either Drive or The Ides Of March.

How about some more predictions while I am at it? Either Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady or Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn will win the Best Female In A Leading Role. I haven’t seen either of the films yet so I may change my mind once I see them, but judging by the small parts of the film I have seen they are forces to be reckoned with. Plus Streep is long overdue for her next Oscar win and Williams is due for her first.

But let’s talk about The Ides Of March,

Review

The Ides Of March is the perfect example how you can have everything it takes to make a brilliant film, yet it can be the script that can completely let you down.

Although there are some magnificent things about The Ides Of March such as the cinematography and a power house performance by Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Beau Willimon and Grant Heslov’s screenplay slows down the film at an alarming rate to point where it is just a chore to sit through.

Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) is running for President with a powerful team behind him which is led by Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) and Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Stephen dedicates his life to politics and is committed to seeing Morris win the presidential race. He sees himself working in the White House, whether it is with Morris or not. After a meeting with the opposition parties campaign manager, Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) Stephen starts to wonder whether he would put his loyalties ahead of his ambition. Further complications arise with his relations with campaign intern, Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood) when she reveals a secret to him that changes everything.

The problem lies primarily with the screenplay. The story of The Ides Of March has so much potential. IT should be riveting and captivating. Yet nothing moves quickly in the film and it slows down the interest of the audience in return. It isn’t always a bad thing if a film is slow, but The Ides Of March has no suspense to it at all. Stephen’s situation in the film and the presidential race of Morris is worthy of suspense and the audience should feel the importance in their situations. However they don’t, it all just feels flat lined.

Clooney’s direction is a little inconsistent throughout the film. His choices of editing and cinematography have maestro moments and he brings out the best in his actors, yet he is partly to blame for the lack of suspense and urgency. The director should employ tactics to increases these features. Maybe he never knew they were lacking?

However, the cinematography is still very well done. One stunning image is of Gosling’s silhouette up against a huge American flag. So stunning it should have been the film’s official poster. The opening of the film is also visually stunning and very effective.

Ryan Gosling gives by far the most outstanding performance in The Ides Of March. He has such a range of emotions which he exhibits and his character has so many developments throughout the film. He goes from cocky, to unsure, to emotional, to broken and then back again. He carries the film so well and there is no doubt he is one of the best things about it.

Clooney directs himself well, but his performance is not one that goes above and beyond. His character doesn’t change at all throughout the film despite what happens to and around him. Philip Seymour Hoffman has some great moments, such as his hotel room discussion with Stephen.

 Evan Rachel Wood is okay, but not entirely convincing in the part she plays. You never quite figure out what type of girl she really is. She is a bit of an enigma. Marisa Tomei is very convincing in her role as journalist, Ida Horowicz. She is tough, but actually likable.

Not the worst film you will see this year by any means, but not enough to cross the line into the land of films you will not forget.

6/10

The American

The American
Year: 2010
Director: Anton Corbijn
Cast: George Clooney, Paolo Bonacelli, Violante Placido

In My Own Words
I can truly believe that "The American" would not be everybody's type of film. It is a very interesting film, if not very confusing. It doesn't tell you much. There is so many questions which remain afterwards. It is funny, a movie can be criticised for leaving too many stones unturned, but then you get a film where barely anything is revealed and it can be considered a masterpiece. I'm not saying that "The American" is a masterpiece, but there are so many films which don't tell the story and are considered amazing. I suppose it all comes down to whether it makes you uneasy not knowing exactly what is going on or not. I don't know exactly what I am to tell you the truth. Some films I don't mind not having a back story and some I do. I'm actually thinking that I prefer to know the whole story. I love getting to know all different types of people so naturally I like knowing the characters like they are people I have just met in reality! Yet, mystery in people can be completely intriguing, as is the case with movies.

I have been asked after watching this film "What is the movie about?" I can answer it in one sentanceand very vaguely, but that is about as far as I can get. For this reason, I am completely intrigued, as should be everyone else who see's this film.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
Many people may be surprised by the type of movie which "The American" is. With the star being George Clooney and being shown in the main stream cinema multiplexes across Australia, one would expect the film to be quite commercial. However, it is anything but. "The American" is a piece of art in the traditional sense. It is stunning to watch, but carries a sense of mystery and questions which are begging to be answered. It is the marriage of the Italian film and the American film, something that hasn't been seen in quite awhile. Jack (George Clooney) is the American who is in hiding in a small Italian village after a project in Sweden ends disastreously. When hiding out in this small town, Jack decides that he wants to leave this part of his life behind and start anew after one last project. Jack starts to slip into his new life by befriending the local priest and forming a relationship with Clara (Violante Placido), before he leaves his old life behind.

So many questions are left unanswered in this film, which can make it unsettling to watch and many people will find just too strange to feel right to enjoy. It is, however, quite the piece of art. Director Anton Corbijn constructs every scene with the utmost care and no scene is not left aesthetically perfect. Every scene is compelling and beautiful and you can often get lost in the visual beauty enough to forget what is actually happenning story-wise. The cinematography and editing is superb. The beauty of Italy is perfectly caputred, while the camera also captures every tiny bit of emotion displayed on each of the main players faces. As previously said, the story itself can be a tad uneasy for some as it does not present itself simply. It is a simple storyline which is made complex by a verbally restricted script and is told more by the visuals and camera angles. For some this may be challenging and unsettling and others it may be challenging and fascinating.

The acting in "The American" is extremely subtle, yet effective. Although it may seem like George Clooney is hardly acting, it is actually one of the hardest roles he will ever have to undertake. He doesn't have any long speeches to express how his character feels so he has to express everything in his facial expressions. It is a hard job to try to keep a neutral expression while still trying to tell something with your face. Clooney achieves this in his role and shows his brilliance in his profession by being able to do this.

If you like everything presented to you simply in a movie and you don't like to be too mentally stimulated, then "The American" isn't for you. It is not often that a film comes along which can be as mentally stimulating as thes, yet doesn't have much to say out loud.
8/10

The Men Who Stare At Goats

The Men Who Stare At Goats
Year: 2009
Director: Grant Heslov
Cast: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey

In My Own Words
Despite “The Men Who Stare At Goats” being released in Australia this week, I actually got to see this film while I was in the United States last month. I love Australia, but I hate how long it can take films to get here sometimes. I understand the reason why it is so, but it still doesn’t make it any less annoying when you are dying for a film to arrive here. It took all my might not to buy “The Hurt Locker” on DVD when I was over there so I could watch it at the cinemas when it arrived here. I guess I have to sacrifice some things living in a beautiful country! Although I would love to live in the states as well.

Anyway, that’s enough about me and now onto the film. I really enjoyed this film for the big reason that it is completely different from anything I have seen in a long time. I am all for originality in film and I feel like standing up and cheering when I see something different. Maybe we should all watch this film after we watch “The Hurt Locker”, not so we can learn to laugh at war, but just so we can relax after it. I have not read the book which this film is based on by Jon Ronson, but I have been told that it is extremely funny. It does depend on what type of comedy you like as to whether you will enjoy it though. Some people will find it weird and just plain silly, or even a bit hard to follow. If you like intelligent comedies with a touch of quirkiness and silliness, then you will love this movie. In other words, if you like the Coen brothers, then chances are you will like this film.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
The majority if people will be able to realise what type of film this is just by looking at the title “The Men Who Stare At Goats”. Despite the silliness of the title and the comedic nature of the film, this film and the book of the same name which it is based on are in fact true stories. The fact that the film is based on a piece of non-fiction makes it even more intriguing, if not totally bizarre. Journalist Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) arrives in Iraq to cover the war, but instead ends up coming across Lyn Cassidy (George Clooney). Cassidy is an ex member of the New Earth Army, a group of soldiers who claim to have psychic abilities. Wilton is drawn into the world of these soldiers as he learns all the ropes and learns what it takes to fight with your mind rather than with weapons. This film is one that many people will find confusing and downright strange, but others will find hilarious. There are some very funny moments and it is likely that if you find the beginning scene funny, you will find the rest of the movie hilarious.

The movie is completely refreshing and original. It can be a bit slow and a bit tedious at times, but is otherwise quite well done. However, it can be quite confusing and the ending does not feel as conclusive and as fitted together as what it should be. The story is indeed intriguing, but it is unclear as to whether director Grant Heslov is making fun of these soldiers or supporting them. Audience members will leave trying to figure out whether what they saw was based on fact, or was it making fun of what these soldiers believed? However, Heslov does do a very good job in directing this film. The arid scenery is amazing and the recreation of war torn Iraq is definitely noteworthy. The screenplay is well put together and script very witty and humorous. The choice of cast is also a winner. It could not be anything but with the four main male cast members each being marvellous actors in their own right. George Clooney is both hilarious and charming in his role of Lyn Cassidy. Ewan McGregor takes on a type of role that we have not seen him in for quite awhile, that of the inferior come superior. It is like he is playing the flip side of his Star Wars role of Obi-Won Kenobi and does so extremely well. So well that it makes you want to see him in more roles such as this. Jeff Bridges is a favourite in the film and Kevin Spacey, as usual, plays the role of the bad guy with perfection. One just has to feel sorry for the goat, but no animals were harmed during the filming of this movie. So, great performance by the goat who plays dead.

A war/comedy hybrid movie does not come along very often, so this movie is a rarity. “The Men Who Stare At Goats” is refreshing and original, but also quite bizarre. It will not be a movie that everyone will find funny or that everyone will like, but it is good clean humour crossed with quirkiness. Fans of Clooney will definitely love this movie, fans of animals, especially goats, may not like it as much.
7/10

Up In The Air

Up In The Air
Year: 2009
Director: Jason Reitman
Cast: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman

In My Own Words
“Up In The Air” is probably my most anticipated film of 2010, and that’s a big call as there are many films I am looking forward to this year. However, this one was the one I had most wanted to win Best Picture at the Oscars, even before I had seen it. After seeing it, I still do very much want it to win the big one. It was different to the way I thought it would be. Comical, but not as comical as Jason Reitman’s pat films such as “Thank You For Smoking” and “Juno”. His past two bordered on quirky, while “Up In The Air” signifies how he is growing as a director, and in the best way. I was by no means disappointed with this film, even with how high my expectations were going into it. That is perhaps the best feeling for a cinephile, having high expectations for a film, and that expectation being fulfilled.

The big question for most people will be, can this film beat out “Avatar” come the 7th of March? It’s impossible to predict right now, but they are two very different films. That may be the beauty of the nominees this year, if the Golden Globes nominations are anything to go by. There are films completely different from each other in the race for Best Picture. Box office figures will of course suggest “Avatar”, but the box office does not mean a thing come the Academy Awards.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
If there is one movie that is the best representation of the economic and emotional state of the USA at the moment, it is “Up In The Air”. This film is amazing, in every sense. It is indeed a superb directing performance for Jason Reitman, and shows his growth as a film maker. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is hired to travel across the country and fire the employees of companies. In other words, he does the dirty work of others. As a result, he is cut off emotionally from the world he lives in. He is indifferent to this lifestyle, until he meets the charming Alex (Vera Farmiga) and is teamed up to work with the young and fiery Natalie (Anna Kendrick) and they show him how much he really is missing out on in life.

There is not much bad that can be said about “Up In The Air”. It is a clever and witty adapted screenplay from the novel of the same name by Walter Kirn. All the characters are interesting and there is never a moment that is wasted in the film. Each line spoken and every scene is of importance and a joy to watch. The movie is perfectly edited and the cinematography is amazing right from the beginning with stunning aerial shots of many of Americas varied landscapes. What really makes the film so impressive is its aesthetic value. Reitman has the uncanny ability of making the audience feel as though they are really in each of the locations of the film. For example, when Bingham is on a plane, you can feel the enclosed surroundings of it and even smell the aircraft scent. The same is with the airports and the homely rural American cottage hotel which Bingham visits for his sisters wedding. His choice of camera shots are also extremely commendable, such as controlled for the parts of the film where he is doing his job, to using a hand held camera when he is among his family, to show the change of perspective in each stage of his life.

The characters development and the casting in “Up In The Air” is also near perfect. Although George Clooney’s role as Bingham is not a particularly hard role to play, he fulfils his role perfectly. There is closeness felt towards his character towards the end of the film and a sadness to leave him behind. It is impossible to see anyone play Bingham the way Clooney has, he becomes the character perfectly. Miss Anna Kendrick is the stand out performance of the film. She is an absolute firecracker as the naive, but ambitious Natalie and leaves all her other “Twilight” co-stars for dead. Although she is no stranger to film, this is her most grown-up role for the 24 year old yet, and like Clooney, is not an actor in this film, but is the character in its complete physical form. Both the characters grow on the screen and the audience plays witness to the change in their roles over the film. Vera Farmiga is also not to be forgotten. She plays a sexy and sultry part, but also shows her vulnerable side. It is interesting to note that many Americans who had recently lost their job, are featured in the film to add to the reality of the economic climate of the United States.

The ending may not be everyone’s idea of the way it the film should finish, but it is fitting as it shows hope and despair for the characters and for the world itself. It really is an extremely well made film and one which will not disappoint emotionally. It is comical in parts and tear-jerking in others. Reitman has really created a brilliant piece of art in “Up In The Air”, and it is an absolute joy to watch.
9/10