Review of Away We Go (2009) by Eden N — 06 Mar 2010

Sam Mendes gives us a road movie that's both sullen and warm, romantic and cynical, gentle and rough.

Mendes assembled a strong ensemble cast for the film, with a lot of the biggest names in the supporting cast between Catherine O'Hara, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Melanie Lynskey, and Allison Janney, amongst others. (There's no not mentioning Jim Gaffigan. (Never thought I'd miss a bacon joke.)) And in the leads, we've got the fresh John Krasinski of The Office and SNL's Maya Rudolph. Krasinski's showing that he's definitely capable of being more than just Jim, and while I never particularly liked Rudolph on SNL, I'm finding I like her a lot more in cinema. She was enjoyable in Idiocracy as well. The two of them have a vital, palpable chemistry that holds the entire film together.

Burt and Verona are in many ways the least interesting characters in the film, and many critics disliked the film because they thought they came off as "superior" to the others. While most of the rest of the characters in the film are more interesting, yes, it's hard to fault Burt and Verona for their reactions to the others - while not the most interesting, they aren't dull, perfectly niche cliches, either. They're only human and not without their own ugliness, and unlike in many films, we get to see both sides of them as characters - both as a loving couple dealing with some difficult circumstances and as human beings legitimately disturbed by the behavior of legitimate creeps around them, as opposed to what would perhaps be more indie cliche in casting them as entirely non-judgmental observers. Road movies may be more about the people encountered and the impact they make than those on the journey themselves, but that doesn't mean those journeying should simply smile and nod. Not everyone encountered is necessarily going to pass on meaningful and enlightening advice - in that regard, Away We Go subverts a good amount of uplifting road movie cliche. Wherever they turn, Burt and Verona are faced with creeps and otherwise legitimately sad human beings whose suffering they can sympathize with, but at the same time, it still makes them uncomfortable, as it would anybody. Can you really blame them for not being perfectly buddy-buddy with any of these people and settling down nearby?

The cinematography is lovely, though you're not really looking at Madison or Montreal, but Connecticut, in those parts of the film. And the soundtrack, though not too overdone, works well as what you'd expect in a film showcasing a slice of Americana - pleasant folk music.

Mendes' direction is strong, as you'd expect of him, but many don't take too well to the slower pacing of the film. If you can't handle slow films or can't connect to these characters, Away We Go probably won't do much for you, regardless of its quality.

In summation, Away We go isn't perfect, but it's still an enjoyable little gem of a film. The story balances the sad and uncomfortable with a healthy dose of humor and consistently entertains throughout. And the whole experience left me personally all the gladder that I have no interest in ever doing the whole 'starting a family' thing. Scary. Recommended movie.