The Great Recession has claimed the heads of countless jobs as the days painfully snowball into months. The unemployment figure currently sits at 10% while the number of underemployed is a staggering 17.2%. We feel for our friends, family and neighbors as they bring news of being the latest to join the unemployment line, but have you ever thought about the person who is sitting on the opposite side of the table from them? I’m talking about the man wielding the rope to the guillotine. “Up in the Air” takes on that unenviable task through telling the story of Ryan Bingham, a hired gun who executives hire to fly in for the afternoon and take care of their dirty work. Just like Reitman’s previous work, “Thank You for Smoking,” “Up in the Air” does a fabulous job presenting Bingham as a character that we sympathize with and want to see grow as a person.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a man who defines the term road warrior. His home are the airports he flies out of and the Hilton hotels where he racks up oodles of preferred guest points. His suitcase is exactingly organized and his attachments are non-existent. He can’t be bothered with family, a wife, the kids. He’s married to his job, and his job is bringing misery to others. While it sounds like a pretty grueling life to most of us, he thrives in this strange existence, chasing frequent flyer points and picking up women in a hotel bar. For his role as the grim reaper, he brings a no nonsense approach that looks to push the newly unemployed out the door yet tries to help them find their feet and dignity in the process.

Life is rolling along just peachy until he’s called back to Omaha for a company wide meeting. A new hot shot MBA, Natalie Keener played by Anna Kendrick (Twilight), comes in and overnight revolutionizes the business of firing, making Ryan obsolete. Instead of circling the US with an ax, they’ll instead be dispatching the troubling news via videoconference. It’s about a step up from dumping your girlfriend via text message. Ryan’s lifestyle is teetering on the brink. His boss, a slimy Jason Bateman, suggests he take young Natalie out on the road with him so she can learn the business in an effort to hone the technological elements they are poised to implement. Bingham throws Natalie into the lion’s den, showing her the faces and lives that are being ripped apart in the hopes that she’ll see the error in her plans to shred the last piece of dignity these people are clutching onto.

Ryan also is sticking his big toe into the frigid water known as attachment. After hooking up with a fellow road warrior Alex, played by Vera Farmiga (The Departed), he arranges several future rendezvous based on where their flight paths cross. As their meetings become more frequent, his carefully constructed wall starts to slowly crumble. He’s falling for her, but has no idea how to reconcile this wave of emotion with his life built with the sole purpose of avoiding attachments.

Clooney is fantastic stepping into the skin of Bingham. He deftly expresses the character’s cocksure confidence, and highly structured existence. When life tries to skew that rigid view, we see his internal struggle toiling about inside him. The addition of Natalie, who evidently was an added character when the book jumped to the screen, is a pivotal element. Her interactions with Bingham really pinpoint who this character is and where he is going.

Co-writer and director Jason Reitman produces another solid film to add to his already blossoming portfolio — “Thank You for Smoking” and “Juno.” If he continues to maintain this high-level of consistency, it won’t be long before we are lumping him in with the likes of Scorsese and Eastwood. Overall, “Up in the Air” is a very nicely made film. We get a fascinating character study of Ryan Bingham and watch as he bounces off and bleeds into these critical people milling about his life. The only real reservation I had was the ending. It’s not that it was bad more so that it rubbed against the grain of where the story had taken us up to that point. Regardless, this film was one of the year’s best and deserves to be showered with accolades for Clooney and Reitman come awards season.

Release Date: December 25, 2009

Have you ever walked out of a movie thinking, “this movie so wasn’t made for me?” That’s how I felt leaving the theater after seeing “It’s Complicated.” I thought to myself my mom would love this. “It’s Complicated” is largely a dumbed down version of “Something’s Gotta Give” swapping out Meryl Streep for Diane Keaton and Alec Baldwin for Jack Nicholson. Both films are puff pieces cleverly constructed to separate the Baby Boomers from their hard earned cash on a Friday night. At least “Something’s Gotta Give” felt somewhat fresh and not bland and contrived like “It’s Complicated.” Nancy Meyers, writer of both films as well as other chick fare like “Father of the Bride” and “The Holiday,” must be running thin on ideas.

Oh where to begin. Jane (Meryl Streep) is a fifty something divorcee who runs a successful high-end bakery and is dealing with empty nest syndrome as her youngest departs for college. Jake (Alec Baldwin) is Jane’s ex-husband who has remarried an early-thirties hottie (Lake Bell) that came complete with a snot machine on her hip. For all of her success, Jane finds herself lonely and a bit lost in her own life.

The whole family descends on New York for Luke’s (“Weed’s” Hunter Parrish) college graduation. While the kids skirt off to prepare a party for Luke, Jane is left alone at the hotel bar trying deperately to feign the air of a confident and content woman. Of course, we find Jake at the other end of the bar on leave for the night from the family. The alcohol starts flowing freely and two people that couldn’t share the same room a few short years before were back in their familiar old patterns, fawning over one another and dancing the night away. The next thing you know the two are bedded up in Jane’s room romping around like they were a couple of twenty-somethings on a getaway weekend.

Thus begins the affair Jane starts with her ex-husband. She’s strangely satisfied to be able to stick it to her younger replacement, and the tryst affords her a youth and freedom she never knew she had. Then it becomes complicated. Adam (Steve Martin) is an architect working on building the new addition on her house and is completely smitten with Jane even though she treats him largely as an afterthought. The blossoming attraction turns mutual and she’s forced to face the feelings she’d long ago shelved for Jake and this new rush or excitement that comes with Adam.

You can fill in the blanks from here. There are lots of funny, compromising situations that Jane and Jake stumble their way into and several tear jerker moments that seem to be required in chick flicks. “It’s Complicated” isn’t a bad film rather it’s just unsatisfying. It’s plot is so predictable that I could have laid it out on a sheet of paper during the previews. The film follows the formula to the T and doesn’t really offer up much that is fresh and original. The characters have decent chemistry — Adam and Jane moreso than Jane and Jake. Alec Baldwin seems to be stuck in his “30 Rock” character Jack Donaghy so it’s hard to really get the Jack out of the Jake. “The Office’s” John Krasinski definitely snagged one of the few better roles in the film. As the fiancee of the eldest daughter (Caitlin Fitzgerald), he gets clued in on the affair in the early goings and has to juggle the forbidden piece of information throughout the film. I have to say though I’d rather see him front and center in starring roles like we saw with “Away We Go” earlier this year.

So if you are a Baby Boomer of the female persuasion who loves Lifetime movies and doesn’t ask much from your entertainment dollar past escape, you’ll most likely consider this one of the best films you’ve seen all year. For the rest of us, it’s better to take a pass or squirrel this away in your Netflix queue for one of those periodic lulls in good new releases.

Release Date: December 25, 2009

Too often Hollywood gets too bogged down in its own ‘happily ever after’ mischief when approaching romantic comedies. Granted most people would rather leave the theater uplifted and happy than have our protagonists hurling plates at one another ala “the Break-Up,” but shouldn’t real life factor in to the movie making process? The reality is most relationships end badly or else we’d all be paired up with the first person who caught our fancy in kindergarten. That’s what makes “(500) Days of Summer” so intriguing. It opens the movie telling us that this isn’t a love story. Just like our title character Summer, we aren’t held under any pretenses that these two characters will somehow back their way into love. It’s just not in the cards for this couple, but watch your mind as it furiously tries to put the pieces together and somehow figure out how we can trigger that spark of love between these two wet branches.

Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“3rd Rock from the Sun,” “10 Things I Hate About You”), is our hopeless romantic, working as a greeting card writer while always keeping his eyes peeled for ‘the one’ to sweep her way into his life. Enter Summer, played by Zooey Deschanel (“Almost Famous,” “All the Real Girls”), a relationship scarred cynic who doesn’t believe in love and isn’t interested in commitment or a relationship in any form. Tom is smitten from the moment he lays eyes on her and constructs silly ways in which to keep from talking to her. Fortunately, she doesn’t play ball, commenting on the Smiths’ song piping through his headphones in the elevator one afternoon, blowing the crap out of his world. Every sad sack male knows that women don’t like the Smiths.

After several painful interactions, they finally share a moment together — drunk and wading in the mutual embarrassment brought on by karaoke. Tom’s co-worker lets the cat out of the bag concerning Tom’s stalker-esque crush over Summer. In true form, Tom fails to grow a set of balls and slap one on her as the moment lingers past, and Summer is left to corner Tom in the copy room the next day. With that one kiss our fledgling relationship is off.

Tom has heard all of Summer’s protests about the fallacy of love and that she isn’t buying into the whole relationship myth, yet he believes that he’s the one that can change her. Through his eyes and his love for her, she will eventually see the light. I think most of us can relate to Tom’s seeing Summer through the artificial halo of new love. Her flaws are minuscule, their problem areas are fixable, and love will conquer all. From the mountain of heartache that inevitably follows such botched logic, I’d say most of us wish reality would settle in just to afford us a moment of clear perspective.

As you’ve no doubt figured out, not all is well in Tom and Summer land. The story is told in a fashion that flip flops between time sequences. We are stepping through the days that birth their romance at the same time as we retrace the steps that led to their ultimate breakup. At the end of the reel, the movie seeks answers. Were there signs from the beginning that Summer and Tom were doomed? What were the triggers that led to the relationship to violently derail? Is there any vestiges of hope we can cling to here to try to fit these two back together? If all is lost, how will Tom get past the girl who he’s so quickly dubbed the love of his life?

This movie is a lot like a Woody Allen film — strangely satisfying despite itself. These two characters are very likable and good together, and we desperately want to root for them even though we realize the exercise is ultimately futile. As we trace the path Tom and Summer construct for us, we learn about each character’s strengths and limitations, and we see how those set of traits reflect off the other person. We come to an understanding of the relationship they will eventually settle into and what brought them there.

The jagged story telling by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber really works well to define these characters, and director Marc Webb gets the most out of his talented actors. Joseph Gordon Levitt scored a best actor Golden Globe nomination for his work, and Deschanel sparkles in the indie spotlight as she always does. Her understated sensuality really makes Summer radiate, and there is never a question as to why Tom is so head over hills for her. It’s evident whenever she enters the screen. The soundtrack may just be the best of the year. Every song seem custom made for the scene in question and draws from the ranks of modern rocks budding starlets and stalwarts — Regina Spektor, The Smiths, Doves, Wolfmother and the Pixies. “(500) Days of Summer” is a very good film that sheds the conventions of Hollywood to give us an honest look at why relationships work and why some don’t.

Release Date: July 17, 2009

Grade: A+ | Genre: Drama
Summary:Wow…I mean wow. How in the hell did the writers/producers of Dexter pull off that season finale?

Wow…I mean wow. How in the hell did the writers/producers of Dexter pull off that season finale? This season as a whole has been a shade off (very slight I might add) of those of season’s past, but they brought the Trinity Killer story line to a close in a baffling and utterly shocking moment few watchers will soon forget. Spoilers will rain down in this review since this episode was chocked full of revelations and surprises so if you haven’t taken the time to see it for yourself, stop everything you are doing and get to your DVR. This is not a moment that can be put off until the dog is fed and the kids have been put down to bed. Dexter commands your attention now!

So this season has rotated around the Trinity Killer (John Lithgow) who has been working his serial killing rampage across the country for thirty years and counting. Dexter (Michael C. Hall) knows his dark passenger has to end Trinity’s reign, but he delays the final kill so he can pick Arthur Miller’s (a.k.a. Trinity) brain on how to be a serial killer and a loving, attentive father in the same breathe. As you can imagine, there aren’t too many people Dexter can open up to about his particular problem set.
Last week left us with Arthur standing toe-to-toe with Dexter in the middle of Miami homicide, finally learning Dexter’s real identity and assembling the various pieces of his life. This week we open on that scene as Dexter tries to defuse the scene finding out what Trinity wants — for Dexter to disappear from his life of course. Were it only that simple.

Arthur heads to the bank with our pal Dex in hot pursuit. While trying to juggle plans on his cell with Rita in the midst of a high-speed tailing, he swipes a rear view mirror off a parked car. Arthur finally stops at a bank to withdraw all his money from savings in what is presumed to be his latest out of town killing adventure. Dexter has other plans as he drugs him with that infamous syringe and stuffs him in the back of his own van. Perfect wrap right? Well it turns out he wasn’t the only one with a hard on for justice. The swiped motorist tracked him down and after an ill advised bout of anger leads Dexter to take a swing at a cop, his butt is stewing away in county jail while Trinity counts the minutes until he returns to the land of the lucid.
The coppers decide to release Dexter, but they’ve called Rita to come get him. The brewing disappointment in her eyes would make any parent proud. Dexter tries to tell Rita about his fumbling ability to deal with the darkness from within without shedding a spotlight on the real problem, and finds a surprising receptive Rita. All is well and the two lovebirds are going to escape to the Keys for a long overdue honeymoon.
After Trinity has disappeared from the van, he returns home to raid all the valuables from his family. He knows Dexter absconded away with his nest egg and Trinity’s vengeance can’t be far behind.
Miami Homicide discovers they’ve been duped into thinking Beudry was Trinity and finally put the pieces together that lead them to Arthur Miller. As Dexter gets to the Miller home to find out where dear old dad has escaped to, SWAT is there to bust into the home. Dexter somehow gets to the garage unnoticed and waits in Arthur’s homemade coffin until he has a window to appear as a homicide detective on the scene.
Deborah’s (Jennifer Carpenter) a bit baffled at how Dexter arrived on the scene so quickly, but you can tell she has bigger fish to fry. Her season long search into her dad’s CI past unearths the mother load of revelations — Dexter’s mother was one of her dad’s old CIs and Dexter’s brother was the Ice Truck Killer from season 1. Now all of you expecting Deborah to piece together that ergo Dexter must be a serial killer as well will have to go home disappointed. After she relays the message to Dexter and he puts on his obligatory look of shock, she says he’s her one constant in this life and further reinforces the value that he so desperately wants to believe that he provides to those closest to him.
Dexter uses Arthur’s beloved Mustang to finally catch up with him before Trinity skipped town. As Arthur lays on Dexter’s table, fully realizing who his new friend is, they discuss Arthur’s failings as a father and how Dexter won’t pursue the same path. The writers almost make Arthur sympathetic in his final moments, but that feeling only gets to linger for a couple of minutes.
Dexter returns home to pack his things for his getaway with Rita. He gets a message on his cell that Rita forgot her ID so had to return to the house. As he goes to call her, her phone rings on the counter — Rita is in the house. The baby cries and Dexter enters the bathroom to see baby Harrison on the floor surrounded by a pool of blood, identical to his own grisly beginning. Rita is in the tub filled with bloody water and serves as Trinity’s final victim. I would venture to say no one saw that wrenching twist coming, and the massive reverberations that will come of it next season.
So we’re left with an ocean of questions. How does Dexter report Rita’s murder to the police without it shining suspicion on himself? What happens with the three kids now that Dexter is a single dad? Will he fight the daily car pool lanes, or will they conveniently get signed off to live with grandparents? Will Deborah finally put together the pieces that everything that turns to shit in her life stems from Dexter? Will he follow his dark passenger down the coming paths that have to be fueled with anger and vengeance that will never truly be satisfied?
At the end of the day, it was a great season of Dexter and a season finale for the ages. Usually as a series grows long in the tooth, its edge seems to go as the writers and producers fall back on tired cliches and overused storylines. The writers of Dexter seem to outdo themselves every season with their twists and cliffhanger endings. Tonight was one of the greatest examples of this, and I have no idea how we are all supposed to sit quietly by until next September to see what will become of Dexter Morgan.