First Hit: A very enjoyable film with some very superb acting from the principals and supporting cast.
In the 1990’s I was a consultant and my job required me to travel from client to client spending more than ¾ of my time away from home. In fact there were multi-year segments in which I didn’t even eat a meal at home. If I was hungry, I would just walk up the street to a restaurant and get something to eat.
With this background, I was really interested in seeing this film to see if they could show this kind of lifestyle accurately. As I sat there watching Ryan Bingham (played by George Clooney) I was convinced that the director Jason Reitman had gotten the essence of this sort of life.
In the film, Bingham’s job is to fire people from their jobs because the company’s management cannot do it. Doing this job requires that he not get emotionally attached to their pleas to understand why they are being fired and the hurt and anger that follows his devastating news. Because of the economy, business is booming so he is on the road for months at a time; never going home.
He loves this lifestyle. He has few responsibilities and nothing to tie him down or make a commitment about. He meets up with Alex (played by Vera Farmiga) who portends to have the same unattached lifestyle.
Their first meeting is a contest on who has the most and best frequent flier and express cards. Ryan indicates that he’ll quit the road when he hits a certain number of miles. They have a blissful one night exchange and like it so much they decide to plan their flying schedules to meet up again and again.
When Ryan’s company calls him home they tell him they’re putting in new technology that will make is traveling moot. To prove this new technology is a mistake, he takes the innovator Natalie (played by Anna Kendrick) out on the road so she can experience the real gist of the job. Being a new MBA graduate she is fired up but learns quickly that theory and practicum are different worlds.
Reitman gets the nuances down just right; the secret drive of business travelers to move through airports, hotels and car rental lines quickly and efficiently. I felt the rush, fun and aloneness of it all, just as I remembered. Clooney has the look and feel of this character and is absolutely ideal for this character. He’s funny, melancholy, intelligent, aloof and direct. He was made for this role. Kendrick is perfect as the MBA who wants to make a name for herself and is filled with idealism. Farmiga is very good as a fellow traveler and hides her duel life well. Lastly, I thought all the people who played the parts of the people getting fired were great. They felt real, like everyday people suddenly faced with losing their jobs.
Overall: This is a really good film. Even the tone and texture of the film itself gave it the feel of realism and accuracy.