Away We Go – Review
Away We Go might seem like an odd departure from the serious dramatic work Sam Mendes has been doing recently, especially after the dark, depressing, Revolutionary Road from last year, but I want to point out his American Beauty, and outside of the dark ending, its a pretty funny movie. If anything, Mendes is proving his versatile direction, and so what if it doesn’t feel as important as his prior work, the film is still stuck within his themes of studying the family architecture. While tackling the issues of what’s right or wrong, if anything when planning a family, Away We Go is pretty funny.
I can see people seeing this an just a typical indie comedy. There’s quips, quirky characters (more on this later), and an artsy feel to it all, but there are times of a tone shift that puts it all together in a neat package. The film really benefits from John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph on-screen chemistry. They feel like a real couple, and this gives the film weight, for which it might have fluttered away as just another independent comedy from Sundance. I don’t doubt that the script helped their chemistry as it was written by a long-time couple, so the quite moments feel real and natural. If it didn’t have this important quality, I don’t think any of the film’s second half would work. Krasinski is funny, and perfectly off set by Rudolph’s dead pan comedic seriousness. Their interactions are hilarious, along with their encounters with friends and family.
God, how I almost hate relating comedy to quirkiness (damn your successes Mr. Wes Anderson), but while these characters in Away We Go have these elements, I think we might be taking for granted the screenplay. I say look at your friends, family, and associates, and tell me that they are “normal”. They’re not, and simple labeling the secondary characters as that indie quirkiness that Sundance loves, is to dismissive towards the subtlety of the writing.
The film is constantly funny, balancing oddball moments with dark humor, but what really adds to Burt and Verona’s journey, is the emotional weight they learn as they visit friends and family. There is this notion of getting a spouse and kids equals settling down. For some, it drowns them in boredom and structure, while for some, it frees them into a new life, that can be equally as fun and interesting as anything. By feeling out new places and seeing these people, Burt and Verona establish a rare insight into possibly what type of family life they could have. The film ends on a quite note of realization, and I think the film earns it, by it’s collection of different relationships witnessed. Mendes crafts another fine film, and while it doesn’t have that deep dramatic weight his Oscar nominated films gave, it’s depth here is well earned if you’re willing to by pass the film’s only real flaw: it’s over-achieving to make us laugh. Regardless, it’s a safe journey about things I think we don’t see or want to except, and a fine example of real love.
Rating: 
