The movie is great. It\u2019s a movie about a fictional character in a fictional job, and yet it\u2019s probably the most realistic movie I have ever seen. The movie is completely predictable, dark, gloomy and bleak, yet I loved it. It\u2019s incredibly well acted and the characters\u2019 soul searching felt tangible and real.<\/p>\n
I loved the movie\u2019s treatment of the \u201crunner syndrome\u201d where someone single mindedly chases a goal for years without thinking why. In the real world, individuals often chase down the societal expectations of the rat race. In this case, George Clooney seems to be running away from life. It\u2019s not clear even to him why he chose the goals he chose, but the words he uses could apply to many as he\u2019s chasing \u201cthe number he has in his mind\u201d.<\/p>\n
Up in the Air<\/em> is probably the first post modern chick flick. Many of my female friends argued it\u2019s not a chick flick at all because it\u2019s not romantic and it does not have a happy ending, but I beg to differ. Being married and having a family sucks. Even when you are married you end up dying alone (if only because your significant other dies at a different point). However, it\u2019s better than the alternative! The movie\u2019s conclusion is clearly an adaptation of Churchill\u2019s quote on democracy adapted to having a significant other: it\u2019s the worst of all forms of living except for all others!<\/p>\n Girls: take your boyfriends because the conclusion is ineluctable: he better marry you because the alternative is much worse! No one wants to end up like the Clooney character!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"