Reitman was back in the Colorado resort town Saturday night with a sneak preview of “Up in the Air," and, judging from the audience reaction at its first, sold-out showing, the 31-year-old filmmaker may have another critical hit for a follow-up.
Unlike “Juno," which featured a cast of unfamiliar names in an unfamiliar story about teen pregnancy, Reitman's new film stars George Clooney and is adapted (albeit very loosely) from Walter Kirn's acclaimed existential novel of the same name. Reitman, who shares screenplay credit with Sheldo Turner, retained only the central character (Clooney's Ryan Bingham) and central conceit (Bingham is a frequent flyer-obsessed corporate downsizer) from Kirn's 2001 bestseller.
Bingham travels more than 300 days a year, and his job isn't pretty. Even as he racks up boatloads of miles, upgrades and loyalty program honors, Bingham is flying around the country to tell people they have lost their jobs. (Reitman's film includes video interviews of real people who recently lost their jobs as some of Bingham's victims, and the movie's closing song was submitted by an out-of-work musician.)
