Movies 2010 : Up in the Air

I watched this movie after it got shortlisted as one of the probable entrees  for the best lead actor.

I am not a great fan of George Clooney but he somehow manages to take up interesting characters on screen   . Sometime back it was Micheal Clayton and now it is ‘Up in the air’.

Ryan Bingham has a very unique job. He is a professional hired to layoff people. His job is to give the  pink slips to fired employees and provide them a some nice counseling so that employees could digest the hard fact and move head.

The job makes Ryan to be ‘Up in the air’ for most part of a year. Over the years he ends up a loner with no contact with family and friends. He goes around preaching about living without relationship.

Life goes fine until one day his own  work gets disrupted by ideas from a young grad from college. Natalie Keener proposes cutting travel costs by using ‘Video Conference’ to fire employees. But Ryan gives an on field demo of his work to explain why that’s not such a good idea. While Ryan succeeds in making his point he also learns that he can no longer preach is philosophy of being alone in life .

If you like drama genre of movies you could give it a try.  Like the past movie, this is also an adaptation of a novel by the same name .

The script is pretty good on this movie too.A random sample from the movie:

“Natalie Keener: Hungry much?
Ryan Bingham: Our business expense allots forty dollars each for dinner. I plan on grabbing as many miles as I can.
Natalie Keener: Okay, you got to fill me in on the miles thing. What is that about? You’re talking about, like, frequent flyer miles?
Ryan Bingham: You really want to know?
Natalie Keener: I’m dying to know.
Ryan Bingham: I don’t spend a nickel, if I can help it, unless it somehow profits my mileage account.
Natalie Keener: So, what are you saving up for? Hawaii? South of France?
Ryan Bingham: It’s not like that. The miles are the goal.
Natalie Keener: That’s it? You’re saving just to save?
Ryan Bingham: Let’s just say that I have a number in mind and I haven’t hit it yet.
Natalie Keener: That’s a little abstract. What’s the target?
Ryan Bingham: I’d rather not…
Natalie Keener: Is it a secret target?
Ryan Bingham: It’s ten million miles.
Natalie Keener: Okay. Isn’t ten million just a number?
Ryan Bingham: Pi’s just a number.
Natalie Keener: Well, we all need a hobby. No, I- I- I don’t mean to belittle your collection. I get it. It sounds cool.
Ryan Bingham: I’d be the seventh person to do it. More people have walked on the moon.
Natalie Keener: Do they throw you a parade?
Ryan Bingham: You get lifetime executive status. You get to meet the chief pilot, Maynard Finch.
Natalie Keener: Wow.
Ryan Bingham: And they put your name on the side of a plane.
Natalie Keener: Men get such hardons from putting their names on things. You guys don’t grow up. It’s like you need to pee on everything.
“

Disclaimer: This was a draft that i created LOOOONG back but submitted today .

Movies 2010: The Social Network

I watched this movie on recommendation from a popular cine critic. And the movie did not  disappoint.

Based on the book ‘The Accidental Billionaires’, The Social Network is about Facebook at its very popular founder.

More than the technology or the history, ‘The Social Network’ is about  people and emotions.  And if you thought the movie will be an eulogy showering praise on FB and its founders then you will be surprised.

In the recent BusinessWeek edition the real life WinkleVoss brothers had mentioned that most scenes in the movie are exact replica of what actually happened .
The dialogues are very fast but each line has to be understood to enjoy the movie .The scenes with Sean Parker (played very well by Justin Timberlake) are really cool.

ps: If you are someone who searched for the FB masthead after watching the movie,then here it is !