Clean record
s Jason Reitman is ready to receive his second, and perhaps third, Academy Award nomination next Tuesday, the 32-year old director is also ready to stake his claim as one of Hollywood’s most celebrated filmmakers. In an article in San Francisco Weekly this December, film critic Scott Foundas touted Reitman as the director to watch this decade.
Reitman boasts a perfect track record in films. He is the director of ‘Thank You for Smoking’ (2006), ‘Juno’ (2007) and ‘Up in the Air’ (2009) and may indeed be the most accomplished prospect to emerge in years. He is the son of the immensely successful, yet rarely acclaimed, director Ivan Reitman (‘Ghostbusters’) but has forged an identity of his own. Reitman’s work is alternately hilarious and bleak, but also defined by irresistible comedy, socio-political satire and entertaining leading players.
The cultivation of themes suggest not merely artistic prowess but have led critics to compare him to the likes of legends such as Billy Wilder and Preston Sturges. Reitman is the rare mainstream filmmaker with the backbone of a renegade auteur. He was unafraid to take on Big Tobacco, teen pregnancy and the increasingly dismal American job market. Reitman communicates his compelling worldview with uncommon clarity and requisite humor reminiscent of the film legends that he is compared to by critics.
If you still don’t believe he is a titan of his craft, realize that Reitman surely has the keenest eye for talent of any filmmaker working today. Reitman has proven to be a master at recruiting and nurturing previously undervalued performers, as shown by his choice of formerly unappreciated talents Ellen Page and Michael Cera in ‘Juno’ and the casting of ‘Twilight’ alumna Anna Kendrick in ‘Up in the Air.’
Reitman’s films live up to the reputation of the director to watch this decade. He is set to become one of the most revered filmmakers in the world, with each of his works destined to incite Oscar buzz the moment its release date is scheduled. Here is a brief look at the work that validates the hype:
‘Thank You for Smoking’ (2006)
Aaron Eckhart, who plays Nick Naylor, is sensational as the Ari Gold of Big Tobacco in Reitman’s feature-film debut. A scathing satire brimming with the director’s trademark comic style, Reitman’s film makes his talent obvious. While Naylor’s job entails channeling his remorseless charisma to lie to promote cigarettes, he is just moral enough to recognize the evil in lying to sell them. Though it was awarded Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor (Eckhart), ‘Thank You for Smoking’ is the only Reitman film that did not receive an Oscar nomination.
‘Juno’ (2007)
For all the accolades the picture picked up during its memorable awards run in 2007, ‘Juno’ has suffered backlash from those who find it aggravatingly quirky. Ellen Page and Michael Cera flaunt peerless chemistry as high school lovers, while Reitman regulars J.K. Simmons and Jason Bateman are dependably outstanding. Reitman’s comedy is still one of the most genuine teen romances of this generation. It is undeniably sweet and subtly complex. ‘Juno’ is a seminal work that widened the audience of independent films and still remains a fine achievement.
‘Up in the Air’ (2009)
Reitman’s most mature work to date is a near-masterpiece. It is one of the finest films of 2009 and a benchmark in his illustrious career. The darkly comic tragedy follows Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), whose job is to fire complete strangers by flying across the globe over 300 days in a year. The film is destined to become a classic. Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are remarkable, while comic geniuses Jason Bateman, Zack Galifianakis and Danny McBride round out the year’s most thoroughly entertaining cast. If Reitman were to never top ‘Up in the Air,’ he still would have realized his extraordinary potential.
Published on January 27, 2010 at 12:00 pm
