Up in the Air (2009)

Director: Jason Reitman
Writers: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner; based on Water Kirn's book

Cast:
Ryan Bingham- George Clooney
Natalie Keener- Anna Kendrick
Alex Goran- Vera Farmiga
Craig Gregory (oh yeah, never trust a dude with two first names)- Jason Bateman
Ryan's sister, Kara- Amy Morton
Ryan's sister, Julie- Melanie Lynskey
Jim, Julie's fiancé- Danny McBride

Awards and Nominations:
nomination-OSCAR- Best Picture (lost to The Hurt Locker)
nomination-OSCAR- Best Supporting Actress- Anna Kendrick
nomination-OSCAR- Best Supporting Actress- Vera Farmiga (lost to Mo'Nique- Precious)
nomination-OSCAR- Best Actor- George Clooney (lost to Jeff Bridges- Crazy Heart)
nomination-OSCAR- Best Director- Jason Reitman (lost to Kathryn Bigelow- Hurt Locker)
nomination-OSCAR- Best Adapted Screenplay (lost to Precious)
Golden Globe- Best Screenplay
nomination- Golden Globe-Best Supporting Actress- Anna Kendrick
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Supporting Actress- Vera Farmiga (see above)
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Actor- George Clooney (see above)
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Picture- drama (Avatar took them to the cleaners! ...oh yeah, that was the year RDJ won for Sherlock Holmes)
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Director- Jason Reitman (lost to James Cameron)

...
some mild spoilers ahead...
...

First off, I’d been meaning to do this post for a while. The motivation has always been the same and I’ve meant to do it around this time but I’d always run out of time or another project caught my attention. But currently going through traffic coming home from the shore house (riding shotgun so you don’t get the idea I’m typing and driving) I’m making time to do it finally.

Have you ever had a movie where you completely see yourself in it, saying “this character is living my life”? While it isn’t a perfect 100% DNA match, my dad loves this movie because George Clooney spends as much of his life on the road as he does. And he can relate to the business of flying so many days out of the year, being efficient about packing luggage, getting through security in a timely manner and, of course, racking up as many frequent flyer miles as possible. It’s all about the miles. While my dad goes internationally (mainly Asia with the occasional sidebar to Europe- not on the same trip, of course) to sell product as part of the metalworking industry, Clooney racks up his miles domestically in a completely different business- firing people.

Watching the movie this latest time, I didn’t even realize that it was inspired by the unemployment crisis that kicked off in 2008 when the housing market collapsed... it's been 10 years now and now that I’ve been working consistently for a couple years now that it’s easy to forget the past. But now recognizing that Clooney’s line of work in this movie is connected to that and I think some of the people in it that were fired weren’t actors but people who’d gone through this rough transition period, it gives me a little more appreciation for it. (According to IMDb, the real people were people that didn't have dialogue with the main actors in the movie).

So this business flies people around the country to various corporations where they fire employees for said corporations (to paraphrase what Clooney says in the narrative) because they are too cowardly to do the firing themselves and leaves them with a packet and words of wisdom like “anybody who ever built an empire or changed the world sat where you are now and it's because they sat there that they were able to do it” (I had to double check I had this quote exactly right because it's important).

The movie starts to kick into its plot because of Anna Kendrick. She plays a college graduate who has the idea to revolutionize this business- using video conferencing to fire people rather than flying people around the country. Of course Clooney hates this idea because it threatens his way of life. He has family that he isn’t particularly close with and is a confirmed bachelor and he travels to avoid having any serious human connection. He also does motivational speeches about avoiding commitment where you stuff all of the things in your life into a backpack, feel how heavy it is and that alone is reason enough not to have any attachment to anything. Moving is living. One speech involves things/objects and the other involves people in your life starting with casual acquaintances and working up to spouses and children. And one involves you setting the backpack on fire and realizing how invigorating that is- don’t worry, he does clarify this.
So he has Anna Kendrick along for the ride and shows her what they do. While she’s working on an algorithm to simplify the process, as brilliant as it sounds in theory, dealing with people in person isn’t as easy as one would think. Along the way, Clooney also meets Alex (played by Vera Farmiga in the first role we all saw her in) who seems to lead the same life he is.

The core trio of cast members are all brilliant at their roles and earned Oscar nomination. While Clooney is cynical, the idealism of Anna Kendrick does get through to him later in the movie- for better and for worse. It does kinda help him develop and change as a character but for me, one aspect of the movie gets ruined in the final few minutes.
The spoiler is about Alex and the truth about her life that comes out when Clooney makes this grand gesture to see her at home to say how he feels. (Why does it always seem like these grand gestures always derail these movies?) To this day I still don’t understand it...
He goes to see her and find out that she’s married and has a family. She calls him up from a parking garage days later and has the nerve to tell him off, saying he could have screwed things up for her. Not once does she even mention this to him...seriously, why? And why doesn’t he say that he has nobody back home that he’s cheating on with her? It’s no wonder she got cast as Norma Bates because that’s totally something she would do.
With all that going on, he finally achieves a goal he’s been working towards, the business needs to reconsider Anna Kendrick’s idea when something tragic befalls one of the hundreds of people they fired, he’s at a bit of a crossroads at the end of the movie...but it offers a lot of interesting possibilities where you can fill in your own blanks- much like the people at the end that are collectively interviewed about their transitioning period.

Checking Out of "Bates Motel"

When this first came out, I was intrigued and excited to check it out (no pun intended). I'd never seen Psycho and since scary movies aren't my thing, I thought this was worth a shot. Especially since it was a limited series so there wasn't going to be a big commitment.

I remember also voicing outrage when they said it was going to be more than the 13 or so episodes originally aired. Surely, this whole prequel to this classic movie could be done in a couple months.

But in the end, everything worked out just as it should. The ending especially. It was looking dodgy a couple times in the final few shows, but once the ultimate resolution was revealed, it all made sense. And all things considered, it did the best possible by all the characters involved. Although Chick and Romero both got the short end of the stick I think... that's what was so great about the series. Weirdoes and bad guys made you root for them (not that I ever saw Romero as a bad guy).

In the beginning... 

 

This is going to sound so cliché but it's true.

At the start of the series, it was just Norman and his mother Norma Bates. She buys a motel and large house on a hill in the small Oregon town of Pine Creek Bay. This is something she does completely on a whim and doesn't even consult Norman about until they are there. As is the case with any teenager, Norman is not happy about these circumstances. And of course, Norma finds out rather quickly that she got a lot more than she bargained for.

 

I saw the pilot, I think, on the following weekend- not the day it actually aired. Knowing my Mondays, schedule conflicts most likely came into play.

I think one time I saw 2 or 3 back to back. It's seriously addicting once you start watching. I'm not a binge-watching person typically (I don't have Netflix- yeah shock/horror- and it's exhausting and time consuming) but this series is ABSOLUTELY binge-worthy if there was ever a candidate.

Ironically, the only other show I've binged... it's the one I'm covering in my next post.

 

Back to our characters though... Norma is so high maintenance and prone to overreaction, you want to kill her yourself. 

But she finds herself in trouble with the former owner of the motel (I think he lost it to bankruptcy which is why it was a bargain that Norma couldn't resist). What happens and how it resolves... there's a reason why it's on at 10pm. It was kinda startling at first. But that became part of the show's unusual charm. Barring any nudity and f-bombs, they're not afraid to "go there". [One episode later on had a "viewer discretion is advised" disclaimer and it was in reference to a final scene where a teenage girl attempts to seduce an older man... this, however, did not carry over to a 2-3 other episodes where sex or rape scenes occurred].
And drawing reference to the other series I will cover in a future post: it pushed the envelope of explicit content in the comedic department.

Also in the show we get to know Norman's friend Emma who has cystic fibrosis (she always had an oxygen tube around her nose and her tank was extremely portable-- her character lived with the disease, but never let it damper her demeanor), the town sheriff Alex Romero and Norman's half-brother Dylan. All things considered (Norma being Norma, Norman being more than a little off and the fact his father is Norma's brother) Dylan's surprisingly the most normal person in the family. I didn't like him when he was first introduced (can't remember why- it was so long ago) but it got to the point with him where I just hoped to God he survived to the end of the series. After all, Norman didn't have any siblings in Psycho.

 

The Psycho Connection 

**This is where the spoilers begin to pop up, but the biggest one is to the movie itself. For the series itself, I gave away nothing major**

 

Of course the house is practically a replica of the original.

But knowing what I knew about the movie (and then finally seeing it- what I know about that world) one thing was obviously going to happen. In the end, one or another, Norma wasn't going to be alive to see it. Heck, there was a preview to a finale where it looked like she might not make it... but she lived for another season and that particular finale was kinda effed up. Not going to sugarcoat it. But that's the thing about the series- you spend enough time with these people and you start to feel disoriented yourself. That's just how good it is.

The biggest love letter to the movie itself was in the final season where Norman runs the business as if nothing was wrong. But then Marion Crane comes to town and the shower scene happens... but it's not how you expect it. Norman did rack up a lot of casualties (I never counted but I think it's 10 or slightly less) and romance was never in the cards for him because of his mental issues. But the shower murder had a motive behind it which made him somewhat redeemable. Let's just say the person actually deserved it opposed to just being unlucky to cross paths with him.

 

Descent into Madness

The acting is amazing and so is the fact that Max Thierot, Nestor Carnobell, and Freddie Highmore each had a few turns in the director's chair (Freddie even wrote one of the last episodes- the acting was even more exceptional).

 

But the best thing about the series was how Norman's character was slowly developed over time. At first, you're led to believe- you know, his mother is a nut job and insane control freak, how can anyone turn out remotely functional living with her?  But as you spend more time with Norman, all those little things about how he was raised and how he reacts to certain situations, they all begin to add up. 

He has blackouts that grow steadily worse and it isn't until the final 2 seasons you see what happens to him during those times. 

Over time, Norma becomes more aware of these blackouts and that things aren't quite right with Norman. But in doing so, she pulls the apron strings even tighter and Norman never fully gets the help he needs until it's the last resort. Like when Norman goes to get his drivers license but Norma stops the driving test by telling the instructor about it and the whole thing gets derailed. Norman rebels but he never gets fully away from his mother and his home. It's comparable to a ghost that can't leave a house and is left to haunt it because that's where they died and it's impossible to solve their unfinished business. Except Norman is alive and the manifestation keeping him bound to his mother and the Bates Motel is in his mind.

On the other side of the coin-- Norma is certifiable in her own right, but aside from racking up dead bodies, Norman shows how unstable he really is when he agrees to check into a mental hospital for one of the later seasons. The reason he ultimately works to break out is discovering Norma got married. Granted, her past relationships have always ended in disaster and none of those men were particularly nice to her (although there was one to a very nice man that she broke off because... well, she found an excuse somewhere, I'll just say that cuz I don't remember)... but Norman is under the impression no man is good enough for his mother other than him, so he does everything to maintain the dynamic the two of them always had. Needless to say, it has some deadly consequences. I had a feeling that Norma would end up with another main character and it wouldn't end well for either of them... just based on the end of the Psycho script where it said Norman killed his mother and her lover.
However, I thought it was a tad unbelievable that White Pine Bay was led to believe Norma committed suicide... but we were there to witness the whole thing as the audience and the only other person to know the truth was conveniently thrown in jail to atone for various crimes he committed in his own career. I guess they needed to have that final season and that was the only way to assure it.

Perhaps the craziest part was how it took so long for most of the corpses to be discovered. Never mind that Norma (and Norman under the influence of "Mother") is so good at sterilizing the crime scene and how Norman's taxidermy hobby comes in handy. Or they just happened to be located near this big deep lake.

Season two, I believe, his favorite teacher wound up dead. He could be placed at the scene of the crime but he's cleared by DNA evidence that somehow doesn't match his. I'm still not entirely sure if she seduced Norman or it's all in our heads (his and the audience) but that was one of the bigger breaking points in the series. One of those no-point-of-return moments for Norman. He's so upset about the situation he can't go to school anymore and Norma homeschools him until he can get his GED. His illness is exacerbated because he never leaves the house or the motel he now plays concierge to.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Other than that I don't have much to add without spoiling the ending of the series. 

Even for those who'd seen the movie there are some surprises in store. In the end it all makes sense and it was the best resolution for everyone. Doesn't mean it wasn't sad though.
I have to get up at 5:30am to go to work, but I had to stay after the show for a cast discussion. You really get to know and love these characters, it's hard to leave, even if it's the best thing for all of us.
The part that's always trippy to me... hearing Freddie Highmore being interviewed. He is so good in this role, you forget that he's British and that he got his start in movies like "Charlie & The Chocolate Factory" and "Finding Neverland."
I also found out that Olivia Cooke, who played Emma, was English. That really threw me for a loop. Both of these actors are so good, you'd never guess they were putting on American accents.
Also need to give it up for Vera Farmiga- not just for being crazy good at being this nutjob of a woman :P but she's the one who recommended Freddie Highmore for the role. Not just great judgment on her part, but certainly a testament to his talent. This is going to be a tough role to top, that's for sure.

Theatrical Review: The Judge

Date: October 11, 2014
Location: Cinemark Theater in Stroud Mall
Time: 12:40pm
Party: 2 (my mom and I)

Cast:
"Judge" Joseph Palmer- Robert Duvall
Hank Palmer- Robert Downey Jr
Gene Palmer- Vincent D'Onofrio
Dale Palmer- Jeremy Strong
Sam Powell- Vera Farmiga
Lauren Palmer- Emma Tremblay
C.P. Kennedy- Dax Shepard
Prosecutor Dwight Dickham- Billy Bob Thorton
Carla Powell- Leighton Meester

Running time: 142 minutes (+7 trailers)

Write-up:

Audience and TrailersOMG... this is probably one of the most packed theaters I'd ever been in. My mom and I had to take seats in the back row of the "orchestra" section because the preferred mezzanine seating was full except for a few patches of 3-4 seats.
The last time I'd been in that situation was at the "Twilight" midnight showing.I'd say it was 3/4 full. I don't know if it was because or RDJ or the fact it was raining outside or it was a slow weekend, but either way, it was great to see. Team Downey gets its money's worth either way.

It's been a while since I'd been at a movie with this many previews. I got to the point where I had to start writing them down and I completely forgot why we came.
Which I guess was kind of refreshing. I'd been so anxious about whether this movie would be showing locally or if I'd even like it. [Either way, I was covered]

1. a teaser trailer for "Into The Wood," which is one of three movies I want to go out to see this year...

2. a hilarious looking Kevin Hart movie called "The Wedding Ringer" where he offers his services as a Best Man to Josh Gad (I wonder if he got this role cuz of "Frozen" where he was so lovable as Olaf the snowman)

3. "Mordecai," which had me thinking immediately of Ralph Fiennes in "The Grand Budapest Hotel," but the title role is played Johnny Depp (totally unrecognizable, didn't know it was him until his name came up)

4. the latest Nicholas Sparks book-to-movie adaption "Best of Me" (which co-stars Michelle Monaghan from "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang")

5. a based-on-a-true-story film about a P.O.W. from WWII Japan called "Unbroken" directed by Angelina Jolie

6. "Inherent Vice," starring a very whacked out looking Joaquin Phoenix

7. "American Sniper" starring Bradley Cooper... the trailer was about as intense as any given scene in "The Hurt Locker"... it looks like another amazing movie, but not necessarily one I'd flock to a theater to see.

The Review
[Beyond any ratings, I avoided reading any detailed reviews beforehand so this review is simply my opinion of this film]

I'll get the punchlines out of the way right now...
This movie was GOOD.

Would I necessarily have gone to see it if not for the fact that it was Team Downey's first film production and it stars my favorite actor?
Most likely not... really cerebral thoughtful movies like these, I only go out to see them or look into them unless I can get invested in the people involved. As one review said, this particular cast is what makes this movie work.

I'd seen Robert play a lawyer twice before. He was a newbie to the profession in "True Believer," working under James Woods' character.
He won me over in a huge way with his run on "Ally McBeal"... not only as a great lawyer, but an all-around great character. I wrote two short stories about Larry Paul, if not for the name changes, that could almost be construed as fanfiction. When I was going through hard times, he was a lot of comfort to me.

For me, it was hard to really gauge how good a lawyer he was in particular role because this was more than just a courtroom drama. This was about family and about, however much you want to run away from it, where you come from is important to you as a person.

We first find Hank Palmer, a big-time Chicago lawyer, working a, seemingly, unwinnable case. He's forced to file an extension when he gets the news that his mom passed away. He hasn't been back to his hometown in Indiana since his high school graduation and if not for the events that unfold, he wouldn't have stayed longer than he had to.

After a very touching moment when he greets his mother at her casket, we're introduced to the rest of his family.
His younger brother Dale, played by Jeremy Strong, is probably this movie's biggest scene stealer. He's described as being "developmentally delayed" so it felt like being around a less exaggerated Rain Man who loves making home movies. He's a very sweet guy who means well and without meaning to, produces some of this movie's funniest lines. If this movie wins any Oscars, he certainly will.
Vincent D'Onofrio plays the big brother, Glen. He was a promising baseball player if not for a car accident. Throughout the movie, he's the guy who tries to hold the family together and tries to make Hank understand why that's so important.

Then we have The Judge himself... Robert Duvall playing a very stubborn old man. We first see him in his element. In this case, presiding over a child support case. Judge Judy would have been proud. Right away, it's pretty obvious why Hank got into his profession and why he's so good at it.

The funeral comes and goes. We get a preview of the relationship of the two men, however fractured and impersonal it is. Hank is literally on his ride home when the major plot kicks into gear: The Judge has been accused of vehicular homicide.

Initially, Dax Shepard is his lawyer, but he's a little green and inexperienced for this. We get this running gag (even when he's downgraded to 2nd chair) where he's puking on the grass before going into the courthouse. Hank makes somewhat of a scene during the preliminary hearing (one of many LOL moments this movie has... he was right, there was a great balance between comedy and drama in this film) and winds up becoming the first counsel.

We also have a side-bar with Hank, his high school girlfriend Sam, and her daughter Carla... another source of hilarity that builds steadily throughout the film.

...
I thought to myself during my "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" review how I wish RDJ had more make-out scenes in his movies. I get what I asked for on two occasions.
The chemistry between him and Vera Farmiga really pulled me into one of the scenes. To the point where I almost wish I was in her place. :P...
That side-bar aside, this is one of those movies where it pays to pay attention. I won't give anything away because other reviews have, but the pieces are come together roughly halfway through the movie. Even before they come out and announce it.

I got a little choked up during the scene where he was at his mom's casket since his mom recently passed away in real life.
And I loved his relationship with his daughter, Lauren. Things are pretty rough with him and his father. While he is absent in her life, his love is still very evident. When his new daughter arrives in real life, I hope to see that side of him transcends as well. It'll certainly be a brand new experience for him as a dad.

As a film overall, it was really well done. You get really invested in the characters and stick with them through all of the dramatics, laughter and tears. My attention was held the whole time. The only doubt that came about in my head was during a dramatic climax during a tornado warning, a huge confrontation between Hank and The Judge, explaining just why their relationship has been so estranged.
I was afraid things were just going to go south, but sure enough, things picked up. Having The Judge on the witness stand helped explain a lot of things and even though it was part of the case, it felt like the emotional understanding these two really needed to repair their relationship.

It was some pretty amazing acting on both of their parts.

I will stand by the fact this is probably one of Robert's best acting jobs ever. Is it enough to get him an Oscar? By the end of this film, I found it really hard to argue FOR the Oscar. Just because other actors like Jeremy Strong and Robert Duvall dominated certain scenes more than he did.
But come Oscar time, I will still fight for him. Even if I'm unable to explain why outside of being one of his biggest fans. And it'll give me a bigger/better excuse to get it on DVD. :P

As for the family aspect after the film, my mom and I loved it. Most likely we'll go into more detail about what it means to us outside of the story on a later date, but both of us were definitely captivated by the characters and the actors.

Grade: A