Review: Up in the Air

*Posted by Caz*

Last week I went to see Up in the Air, George Clooney's new film. The story revolves around the life (or lack there of) of a man, Ryan Bingham, who is hired to fly back and forth across the US in order to fire employees for company bosses who don't have the courage to do it themselves. Bingham enjoys his secluded life, viewing the cold and clinical airports as his home and the nameless people around him as his companions. At one particular airport he meets Alex Goran, a fellow traveller who shares Bingham's view of life in the air, and they instantly strike up a relationship, meeting at different airports across the country where their paths cross.

However, it is with the introduction of young Natalie Keener at Bingham's company where his world is turned upside down. With Keener's new 'Glocal' plan, their will be no call for Bingham to continue his jet set lifestyle, instead remaining at the office and firing people in a video call format. Much to Bingham's annoyance he is told to take Keener along with him to some of his clients so that she can learn his process and perfect her new idea by watching the main man in action.

Image Courtesy of www.filmschoolrejects.com

It is through this journey that Keener, Bingham and Goran get to know one another and find out how their lives led to this point. Bingham soon realises that whilst he has been 'up in the air', his sisters have continued to live their lives and finally lost faith in him. As he comes to terms with this during his sister's wedding he begins to realise what he has been missing whilst on his quest for the ultimate in air miles.

Up in the Air is one of those thought provoking films that is definitely worth watching, making you really think about your own life and what is important to you. However it has to be said that it is definitely not a date movie and will certainly leave you feeling a little low. Without Clooney in the main role, I think this film would have been less of a success and was definitely improved by his cinematic presence. The surprise for me in this film was the capability of Anna Kendrick, who I was only aware of through her portrayal of Jessica in the twilight adaptations. She gets a lot more screen time in this film and even showcases her ability for comedic timing, which provides a lot of the humour when used to question Bingham's lifestyle.

Overall this film is one to watch, but probably isn't one to add to the DVD collection.

For more information about the film go to the official website:

http://www.theupintheairmovie.com/

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*Coming soon - An Evening with Sophie Kinsella*

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A Birmingham Night Out

*Posted by Caz*

Last Saturday night (16th January) we ventured out into Birmingham for a belated birthday celebration. Having both been at university up until recently it was our first trip into the big city for a night out since returning home, and we weren't exactly sure what to expect. Being a city full of students it was easy to imagine how we might feel somewhat 'out-of-the-loop' now that we are out of that reassuring bubble called 'student life'.


Our first stop for the evening was The Island Bar, located on Suffolk Street. It's a shame our visit was on a wet and dark January evening because although the atmosphere was fantastic, it certainly has that holiday feel to it and was in need of a balmy, summer evening to complete the total effect. Far from being a negative, the atmosphere of The Island Bar makes for a completely relaxed evening and is a great first stop for a night out.

The main attraction at The Island Bar has to be the bartenders and their amazing skills at making a cocktail. No matter how busy the bar, the bartenders had fun with the drink preparation, throwing ingredients around to each other whilst keeping the drinks coming at a steady rate. The cocktail menu itself is extensive, with so many choices you are bound to find something to take your fancy; the only downside of this being the cost - at £5.50 each for the more adventurous drinks, just a few of these would set you back a bit for the evening (however these are the prices for Saturdays - there are offers on in the week such as £3 each before 7pm on Mondays).

Jen and myself with our cocktails!

Overall The Island Bar was the best part of the evening, with its fabulous wall paintings, dj and bar staff, it set the mood for a great evening ahead and was certainly a welcome break from the city life just outside its door.

Our next stop was a short walk away from The Island Bar, past the Mailbox and to the indie nightclub Snobs.

Unfortunately for me Saturday night music in Snobs is either indie rock or 60s, neither of which are the type of music I like to dance to. However despite my obviously lacking taste in music (Jen appreciated it all a lot more than I did) I was able to appreciate the end of the night venue for its good dance floors and friendly atmosphere. It is obviously a well loved club by those in their late teens and early twenties, who came out in full force to dance their hearts out.

One aspect I have to mention which probably seems really unimpressive is the fact that the whole club is air conditioned. You may think this an odd thing to mention, but as a former student at Aberystwyth University, where the clubs have not progressed as far as modern technological advances to accommodate nightclubbers, this is a wonderful commodity that does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.

When leaving the club, it was also nice to see some security measures outside, with people on hand to help leavers to find transport home and presumably to stop any fights should they occur.

Overall, the night was a great introduction back into the Birmingham social scene, with the only down side to the evening being the £33 taxi fare home!

Myself, Jen and our friend Grace in Snobs

For more information about the bars we visited please take a look at their websites, links below:

http://www.bar-island.co.uk/

http://www.snobsnightclub.co.uk/

Opening Credits...

Remember the Lost Boys in Peter Pan? The ones who never wanted to grow up? Well we would be the Lost Girls; the ones who never want to get stuck in the 9-5 lifestyle that is expected of University graduates.

We've started this blog to encourage and motivate ourselves to take up opportunities around us instead of slipping into everyday life that involves nothing but daytime tv and boring jobs. We want to share our experiences with others in the hope that we can both inspire and be inspired by those around us and those that read our blogs.

So hopefully we'll have a few antics to tell you about and photographic evidence to go with it. We'll also link to our separate blogs so you can gain a better insight into our interests and ambitions.

This seems to be a serious start to a blog which undoubtedly will be filled with daft and amusing tales! If you want to know more email us or keep an eye on the blog.

Caz and Jen