Away We Go

It can be easy to forget that life is an adventure. This seems especially true for people who are about to have a child as they feel their sense of freedom will be gone forever. But Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) see an adventure that is just beginning and like two people about to embark on any true adventure they have no idea where they're going.
The ever optimistic Burt is excited for the arrival of their daughter as he "cobbles" (whittling, really) in the mornings, hoping to impart a love of making things to the child. Still, the couple has no sense of home and with Verona's parents dead and Burt's moving to Europe (played by Jeff Daniels and Catherine O'Hara in a very funny scene), the young couple decides to seek out their own home and their own future. They travel from city to city, meeting friends all the way from Phoenix to Montreal hoping to find the perfect place to raise their little girl. The friends in these cities are couples at various stages and decidedly different levels of happiness. In them Burt and Verona see what their futures could possibly bring.
"Away We Go" is the fifth film from Sam Mendes and the first one that doesn't feel bred to be an awards contender. Having said that, it's probably his best since his debut (a little movie called "American Beauty") and more deserving of Oscar consideration than the bleak "Revolutionary Road." Burt and Verona are the couple that "Road's" Frank and April didn't have the courage to be. As the couple, Krasinski and Rudolph are absolutely terrific. Krasinski has been great on "The Office" but the films he's appeared in thus far (the abysmal "License to Wed" and the disappointing "Leatherheads") haven't given him the opportunity to show what he can really do. Rudolph is a long way from struggling through a poor "SNL" sketch as the weary Verona. The screenplay by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida gives the pair plenty to work with. From the couple's stops along the way we are shown more and more how uncertain the future really is, but there is an overwhelming sense that Burt and Verona are going to be okay, and what's more we are genuinely happy to believe that.
"Away We Go" is a film full of colorful characters, many of whom could have come off as caricatures or as cartoonish in the wrong hands. Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Paul Schneider (among others) make their brief appearances memorable, but Mendes, Eggers, and Vida wisely keep the film's focus on Burt and Verona. This is a wonderful movie that should not be missed. There will be plenty of time to go to "Transformers" and "Public Enemies." Go see "Away We Go" while you have the chance. You will be glad you did. 10/10.

Now a couple of trailers for some films I'm really excited about. First up, getting its Seattle release tomorrow, "Moon," starring one of my absolute favorite actors, Sam Rockwell.



And the new comedy from Steven Soderbergh, "The Informant," starring Matt Damon. Thanks to blogger buddy (and fellow Oriole fan) Keith at Reel Fanatic for making me aware of this one.