It’s hard to imagine a non-war movie capturing the American zeitgeist as clearly as Up in the Air has. Since we appear to be in a time of endless armed conflict, you can shoot a Middle East-based war movie anytime in the next several years and bank on being au courant. But to have a film about a man who makes his living by taking other people’s jobs away from them appear in 2009 calls for simply uncanny timing. I guess if it had come out last spring it would’ve been even more pointedly dead on, but still…
But Up in the Air has much more going for it than timeliness. The very sharp cast, led by George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, the traveling executioner, and brilliantly seconded by Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, takes the film into bumpy (i.e. emotionally complicated) air space—you’ll want to keep your seat belts fastened.
For starters, Clooney’s Bingham is far from the heartless bastard you’d expect. If you personally are looking for a film that will allow you to vent against the bastard who fired you, you’ll have to wait a little longer. Bingham respects his victims’ dignity, and their pain, to the fullest possible extent. He probably isn’t even lying when he tells them that this termination could be the opportunity of a lifetime. Unencumbered by a job, now they can go out and do what they really want.
Bingham’s pitch is sincere because he sees the encumbrance-free life as a Holy Grail—one that he has himself attained. He lives his life as a free man, “on the road 322 days a year,” and sees no need for personal entanglements.
It’s the job of Farmiga’s character, Alex, herself a beautiful but strangely available road warrior, to eventually crack Bingham’s emotional shell. But in Bingham’s case, “cracking shells” turns out to be as painful as it sounds. He allows himself to become humanized, or “grounded” in every sense of the word, but he isn’t careful to check that none of his miles have expired.
Clooney’s performance is a triumph. He’s had plenty of fun with his pretty-boy image, but for him his impeccable cool has always been a tool, and not his reason for being. This time he shows how that image, which he shares with his character, comes up short as an adult way of life. He lives his life in the not-so-great indoors and his good looks are starting to be a memory. He looks physically bruised, even slightly beaten—but his pain comes from the inside.
This is the story of a man who gets the point, who understands that he’s been terribly mistaken, but that realization comes too late. He’s still wracking up the miles when the final credits roll.
Concert News
Teddy Swims dives into Houston with stop on 2026 'The Ugly Tour'
Singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, who has toured every year since 2022, will keep up his road warrior ways in 2026 with The Ugly Tour, which will include a stop at the Toyota Center on Tuesday, October 27.
The all-arena tour officially kicks off in Kansas City, Missouri on September 22, hitting 32 cities over the course of two months.
In addition to Houston, Swims will play in Austin on October 28 and Fort Worth on October 30.
The ever-busy performer will also have a short summer tour, as well as multiple festival dates through the end of July.
Swims will be touring in support of his 2025 album, I've Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2), the follow-up to his 2023 debut album, I've Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1).
That first album contained his two biggest hits to date: "Lose Control," which set the record for the longest-running Billboard Hot 100 hit after spending 112 weeks on the chart, and "The Door."
He also recently collaborated with David Guetta on the 2025 single, "Gone Gone Gone," and released a non-album single, "Mr. Know It All," ahead of his recent performance at Coachella.
Fans can register for presale access at teddyswims.com/#tour. The Teddy Swims Presale begins Wednesday, April 22 at 10 am local time.
The general public on-sale date is Friday, April 24, at 10 am local time at Ticketmaster.com.
Teddy Swims - The Ugly Tour dates
- Sep. 22, 2026: Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile Center
- Sep. 23, 2026: St Louis, MO - Enterprise Center
- Sep. 25, 2026: Chicago, IL - United Center
- Sep. 26, 2026: Saint Paul, MN - Grand Casino Arena
- Sep. 29, 2026: Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
- Sep. 30, 2026: Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
- Oct. 2, 2026: Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
- Oct. 5, 2026: Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
- Oct. 7, 2026: Montréal, QC - Bell Centre
- Oct. 9, 2026: Boston, MA - TD Garden
- Oct. 10, 2026: Philadelphia, PA - Xfinity Mobile Arena
- Oct. 13, 2026: Washington, DC - Capital One Arena
- Oct. 16, 2026: Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
- Oct. 18, 2026: Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center
- Oct. 20, 2026: Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena
- Oct. 22, 2026: Orlando, FL - Kia Center
- Oct. 23, 2026: Sunrise, FL - Amerant Bank Arena
- Oct. 25, 2026: Tampa, FL - Benchmark International Arena
- Oct. 27, 2026: Houston, TX - Toyota Center
- Oct. 28, 2026: Austin, TX - Moody Center
- Oct. 30, 2026: Fort Worth, TX - Dickies Arena
- Nov. 1, 2026: Denver, CO - Ball Arena
- Nov. 3, 2026: Salt Lake City, UT - Delta Center
- Nov. 5, 2026: Seattle, WA - Tom's Watch Bar - Climate Pledge Arena
- Nov. 6, 2026: Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
- Nov. 8, 2026: Portland, OR - Moda Center
- Nov. 10, 2026: San Francisco, CA - Chase Center
- Nov. 11, 2026: Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center
- Nov. 13, 2026: San Diego, CA - Pechanga Arena
- Nov. 14, 2026: Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
- Nov. 16, 2026: Phoenix, AZ - Mortgage Matchup Center (formerly PHX Arena)
- Nov. 18, 2026: Los Angeles, CA - Kia Forum