The first time I watched Reitman’s Up In the Air (2009), I was really impressed. It was less because of its distinct style and narrative than because it was a suggestion by a friend. Yes I admit, studying film has made me extremely choosy when it comes to the films I watch. I had never heard of it before, but within the first few minutes I knew that it must have been popular when it first came out. (Clues: George Clooney and the fact that it won a Golden Globe for Best Screenplay in 2010.) Yet there I was, about five years late, wondering if George Clooney (The Descendants) is an intrinsically talented actor or if he was molded by God himself specifically to play the role of Ryan Bingham.
Obviously, I really enjoyed the film. I went to Italy for spring break last year and it was the only film I watched on the flight to and from. And then I watched it a couple more times after that. I was one less viewing from memorizing the entire script when I decided to look more into director Jason Reitman to try to find out if he had made similar films. Fate smiled down on me when I found Thank You For Smoking (2005).
Both films, adapted from novels of the same titles, have strikingly identical concepts. Up In the Air’s Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizing expert whose job is to travel around the country to fire people. In Thank You For Smoking, Aaron Eckhart plays Nick Naylor (The Dark Knight), an extremely charismatic lobbyist for Big Tobacco. In both films we find the protagonists struggling with the moral implications of their lifestyles as conflicts arise in the form of secondary characters. The satirical nature of the character-driven narratives allows Reitman to create light-hearted social commentaries on isolation and moral flexibility.
Other notable Reitman films are Juno and Young Adult, also following the same snappy pace + witty character formula. However, in 2013, Reitman tried his hand at drama for the first time with Labor Day in 2013. I have not seen the film, so I'm not even going to pretend that I know anything about it, but I heard it was a flop. Same goes for Men, Women & Children, which came out last year. Is Jason Reitman slowly losing his luster? At the young age of 37, hopefully not.
Keith Phipps, Nathan Rabin, and Scott Tobias over at The Dissolve discuss Jason Reitman.
Other notable Reitman films are Juno and Young Adult, also following the same snappy pace + witty character formula. However, in 2013, Reitman tried his hand at drama for the first time with Labor Day in 2013. I have not seen the film, so I'm not even going to pretend that I know anything about it, but I heard it was a flop. Same goes for Men, Women & Children, which came out last year. Is Jason Reitman slowly losing his luster? At the young age of 37, hopefully not.
Keith Phipps, Nathan Rabin, and Scott Tobias over at The Dissolve discuss Jason Reitman.
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