George Clooney in Up in the Air
Nomi Morris on Up in the Air in GlobalPost, via The Huffington Post:
"This year, the film that has generated the greatest buzz is Up in the Air, the latest by [Jason] Reitman, director of the hits Juno and Thank You for Smoking, and son of Hollywood director Ivan Reitman (Ghost Busters). Up in the Air stars [George] Clooney as a "termination engineer," who has no home life outside of his job, jetting around the country helping American companies fire people. Both funny and sad, the film examines a society where frequent flier points become a substitute for family attachments. Reitman used documentary footage of 25 real people who had lost their jobs in Detroit and St. Louis, which lends the film a timely edge."
***
Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend in Young Victoria
Stephen Whitty on Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria, in The [New Jersey] Star-Ledger:
"The Young Victoria gives her that chance, as it details an often-unseen side of the queen. Because long before she became a stout and formidable monarch, Victoria was a teenage princess – and one whom certain forces did not want to see ascend to the throne."
…
"Unfortunately, the film is more hagiography than biography, with Victoria (and her soon-to-be husband, Albert) the only pure characters in a world of scheming politicians and vicious gossip. (That it was produced by Sarah Ferguson – yes, that Sarah Ferguson – may explain some of its royalist romanticism.)"
***
Michael Moore in Capitalism: A Love Story
Peter Rainer discusses the Toronto festival's controversies — including the "pro-Israel propaganda" issue — in the Christian Science Monitor:
"Trumping Michael Moore in the controversy sweepstakes were the protests and counterprotests surrounding the festival's City to City program, which this year spotlights films from Tel Aviv. Canadian filmmaker John Greyson kicked things off last month by withdrawing his short film from the festival 'to protest the showcase of Israeli filmmaking.' Festival codirector Cameron Bailey, in an open letter on Aug. 28, said, 'The goal of City to City is to take a closer look at global cities through a cinematic lens…. We recognize that Tel Aviv is not a simple choice and that the city remains contested ground. As a festival that values debate and the exchange of cultures, we will continue to screen the best films we can find from around the world.'"