The first Smex of 2010 started with a … fizzle. Five of us met at Champoo, which use to be called “Balsam”. Get it? me neither, until it was brought to my attention that it means Conditioner in Norwegian. After a few beers, it was still unclear and unfunny why Shampoo came after Conditioner. We dutifully took a group picture outside in the freezing cold (thanks Espen!) and headed out to Ringen 6.

Up in the Air stars George Clooney as a Downsizing Expert, which means he’s hired by companies to fire people. While he usually works alone, he is paired up with a up-and-coming employee that is implementing a new system to fire people over internet video. Hilarity ensues, not.

This movie feels like an independent film that is not boring. It has humor in a subtle way (still way funnier than Couples Retreat) and a few expected plot twists. But overall it’s a laid back film that shows a sad side of the “American Life” and some interesting tidbits of modern relationships. One surprising thing was the quality of the cinematography. I think half of the movie would make a great wallpaper.

To sum up, I enjoyed this movie and will gladly watch it again in a few months.