Up in the air

Up in the air is a movie that tells the story of Ryan (George Clooney) who lives to crisscross the country and fire people as humanly as possible if their bosses are too chicken to do it themselves. He spends more time in airplanes than at home, is a special customer with hotel chains like the Hilton and perceives the 40 odd days a year that he actually has to live in his own apartment as miserable. Ryan has brought flying to perfection, packs super efficiently, knows which check-in lines take the longest and collects miles as an end in itself.

But in fact, it is a movie about a man whose motto in life is to travel light. No commitments, no strings, no faux sentiments or deep feelings. Possessions weigh you down, people hold you back.

It is also the story of Natalie (Anna Kendrick) who turned down her dream job in San Francisco to follow a man who might have been "the one" to Omaha where she turns Ryan's routine upside down by introducing a system that allows to fire people per video conference.

And then there is Alex (Vera Farmiga), apparent business woman on the outside, frequent flier just like Ryan. She is a lady with whom he spends pleasant moments - no strings attached - and who gets him thinking about his life as it is. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone besides you? Is life maybe better when you have company?

In the end, Ryan is back to square one. It turns out that his philosophy of life with the self-imposed rules of aloofness and distance is the best one, certainly for him. Natalie leaves the company after a lady she had to fire killed herself, and applies for the job of her dreams. The video system is dismissed. Ryan keeps living his life and Alex hers. Everybody wins - or almost.