Up in the Air (D: J. Reitman, 2009) S: Clooney, Farmiga
12-23-09, 11:35 PM
#51
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Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
Basterds is top 10 material, but I wouldn't be disappointed with a win. Crazy Heart I haven't heard of before two weeks ago.
But some of the films in the race right now: Hurt Locker, An Education - I thought were both boring despite the praise they're getting. And I like indie movies. If UitA doesn't win Best Picture, I'll take Anna Kendrick for Best Supporting Actress or Best Adapted Screenplay as a consolation
But some of the films in the race right now: Hurt Locker, An Education - I thought were both boring despite the praise they're getting. And I like indie movies. If UitA doesn't win Best Picture, I'll take Anna Kendrick for Best Supporting Actress or Best Adapted Screenplay as a consolation
12-24-09, 03:26 AM
#52
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
Basterds is great. The only film I saw twice in theatres this year.
I'd love for it to win Best Picture.
I'd love for it to win Best Picture.
12-24-09, 07:48 AM
#53
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
12-24-09, 08:01 AM
#54
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
12-24-09, 08:23 AM
#55
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
If UitA (or IB) wins the Oscar for best picture, 2009 will truly go down as a bad year in cinema.
12-24-09, 08:27 AM
#56
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
IB is critically acclaimed, has one of the best performances of the year, and is entertaining as hell... It won't win, it just isn't as far fetched as some suggest.
Considering some of the "wins" for the last decade, there have been a lot of "bad years in cinema" this decade.
Best Pic Winners: Gladiator (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Chicago (2002), Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Crash (2005), The Departed (2006), No Country for Old Men (2007), Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
...that said, considering this year gave us The White Ribbon, The Hurt Locker, Antichrist, Up in the Air, Inglourious Basterds, Crazy Heart, An Education, A Serious Man, Julia, Sin Nombre, Goodbye Solo, You The Living, Up, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, In the Loop, Star Trek, Sugar, Moon, 35 Shots of Rum and World's Greatest Dad, it really wasn't all that bad... just not very mainstream.
Last edited by RichC2; 12-24-09 at 08:38 AM.
12-24-09, 11:01 AM
#57
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
12-24-09, 11:38 AM
#58
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
12-24-09, 02:25 PM
#59
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
12-24-09, 11:51 PM
#60
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
Saw it today, definitely my #1 film of the year. I do think it's a bit inappropriate as a Christmas season release; it's a very heavy film and at least one trailer I saw completely sells it wrong.
12-25-09, 12:11 AM
#61
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
UitA is critically acclaimed, it stars George Clooney, it's very topical, and generally well liked... It's almost a lock.
IB is critically acclaimed, has one of the best performances of the year, and is entertaining as hell... It won't win, it just isn't as far fetched as some suggest.
Considering some of the "wins" for the last decade, there have been a lot of "bad years in cinema" this decade.
Best Pic Winners: Gladiator (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Chicago (2002), Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Crash (2005), The Departed (2006), No Country for Old Men (2007), Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
...that said, considering this year gave us The White Ribbon, The Hurt Locker, Antichrist, Up in the Air, Inglourious Basterds, Crazy Heart, An Education, A Serious Man, Julia, Sin Nombre, Goodbye Solo, You The Living, Up, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, In the Loop, Star Trek, Sugar, Moon, 35 Shots of Rum and World's Greatest Dad, it really wasn't all that bad... just not very mainstream.
IB is critically acclaimed, has one of the best performances of the year, and is entertaining as hell... It won't win, it just isn't as far fetched as some suggest.
Considering some of the "wins" for the last decade, there have been a lot of "bad years in cinema" this decade.
Best Pic Winners: Gladiator (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Chicago (2002), Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Crash (2005), The Departed (2006), No Country for Old Men (2007), Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
...that said, considering this year gave us The White Ribbon, The Hurt Locker, Antichrist, Up in the Air, Inglourious Basterds, Crazy Heart, An Education, A Serious Man, Julia, Sin Nombre, Goodbye Solo, You The Living, Up, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, In the Loop, Star Trek, Sugar, Moon, 35 Shots of Rum and World's Greatest Dad, it really wasn't all that bad... just not very mainstream.
12-25-09, 01:36 AM
#62
Banned by request
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
I saw this tonight, and thought it was very good. Clooney's performance was his most natural yet, and while it had Clooney-isms, it didn't feel like he was playing himself. Farmiga is also excellent, and hot as hell.
The only issue I had was the montage of people who were fired, talking about how they got through because of their friends/family. For one thing, it was stylistically out of place, and for another, it was way too on the nose. Other than that, I'd say this is a solid 4-star film. I wouldn't put it in my top 10 of the year, but I imagine it will get a best picture nod.
The only issue I had was the montage of people who were fired, talking about how they got through because of their friends/family. For one thing, it was stylistically out of place, and for another, it was way too on the nose. Other than that, I'd say this is a solid 4-star film. I wouldn't put it in my top 10 of the year, but I imagine it will get a best picture nod.
12-25-09, 08:43 AM
#63
DVD Talk Hero - 2023 TOTY Award Winner
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
I have to agree. It was jarring coming where it did. While I would have preferred to see it snipped altogether (the film sends enough of a message without it), he could have placed it within the closing credits and it would have flowed much better.
12-25-09, 02:57 PM
#64
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Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
I had heard that each of the people in those sequences were people who had been laid off. So real life folks
12-25-09, 03:12 PM
#65
Banned by request
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
I had heard that as well, but that doesn't make it work any better within the context of the movie up to that point.
12-25-09, 03:33 PM
#66
DVD Talk Hero - 2023 TOTY Award Winner
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
12-25-09, 06:26 PM
#67
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
Saw it. Really liked this movie and hope it wins Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.
Please, let Jason Reitman make more movies minus scripts by Diablo Cody. Please let Anna Kendrick get more movie roles and not Ellen Page.
That's all for now.
Please, let Jason Reitman make more movies minus scripts by Diablo Cody. Please let Anna Kendrick get more movie roles and not Ellen Page.
That's all for now.
12-25-09, 06:52 PM
#68
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Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
I thought it was bad, it was pleasant, like the last chance harvey of 2009... which I'm struggling to find any difference why this one is so acclaimed and harvey wasn't... to me both are the same level of 'okay'
but overall, I found it unconsidered, not thoughtful or interesting, just a very surface take. all the jason reitman-isms were distractions and didn't fit, such as the montages and overly cute editing, and overly cutesey character relations (Clooney and Farmiga could have been taken from the fast food and alcohol lobbiest dynamic for instance in Smoking).. then there was some lost in translation-esque, middle-aged man lost in a group situations which felt 'thrown together' ... I liked the young female protege, but the old female relationship was too cliche.
So overall, probably a C, perhaps my expectations were too high because of all the acclaim it's getting.
but overall, I found it unconsidered, not thoughtful or interesting, just a very surface take. all the jason reitman-isms were distractions and didn't fit, such as the montages and overly cute editing, and overly cutesey character relations (Clooney and Farmiga could have been taken from the fast food and alcohol lobbiest dynamic for instance in Smoking).. then there was some lost in translation-esque, middle-aged man lost in a group situations which felt 'thrown together' ... I liked the young female protege, but the old female relationship was too cliche.
So overall, probably a C, perhaps my expectations were too high because of all the acclaim it's getting.
Last edited by CloverClover; 12-25-09 at 06:54 PM.
12-25-09, 09:45 PM
#69
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
Just saw this. What a movie for our time. Just fantastic — I can't think of a major thing I didn't like. I've seen Avatar and Sherlock Holmes but this will be the movie that stays with me.
12-25-09, 10:45 PM
#70
DVD Talk Hero
12-26-09, 07:18 AM
#71
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Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
12-26-09, 07:38 AM
#72
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Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
12-26-09, 11:04 AM
#73
Senior Member
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
just saw this and fell in love with it. should be a hard contender for Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture at the very least.
this is most definitely in my top 5 this year so far alongside 'The White Ribbon', 'Ballast', 'Inglourious Basterds', and 'Up'
this is most definitely in my top 5 this year so far alongside 'The White Ribbon', 'Ballast', 'Inglourious Basterds', and 'Up'
12-27-09, 10:47 AM
#74
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
Saw it yesterday and loved it. Not sure if it will win Best Picture (what was the last "comedy" to win...Forrest Gump?), but I'm really pulling for George Clooney as Best Actor. I think it's the finest thing he's ever done.
Oh, one question about the ending I'd like to get everyone's opinion on (spoilered, naturally):
Oh, one question about the ending I'd like to get everyone's opinion on (spoilered, naturally):
Spoiler:
Last edited by Shannon Nutt; 12-27-09 at 10:55 AM.
12-27-09, 12:24 PM
#75
Banned by request
Re: Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009): Clooney as exec obsessed with frequent flyer miles
Spoiler:
And the last comedy to win Best Picture was Crash.
Actually, it was Shakespeare In Love.