"Away We Go" - REVIEW

I said in my review of "Revolutionary Road" that director Sam Mendes was on a continually downward streak in terms of quality, and at the time, I was certain it was true. Now, after seeing his latest offering, I can hopefully declare that said streak is over. "Away We Go", by writer Dave Eggers and wife Vendela Vida, is a welcome addition to Mendes' small-but-expanding canon, mostly because it has something that Mendes' other films didn't have at their cores: heart.

Burt and Verona (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph) are stuck in life; he sells insurance to insurance companies, she's an artist of sorts. They can more than make it by, but are stuck with the question of "are we screw-ups?" After all, their electricity goes out from time to time and as Verona points out, "we have a cardboard window". Then they discover that Verona is pregnant, an unplanned but still exciting surprise. After Burt's goofy parents (Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels) make plans to move to Belgium (3 months before the baby arrives), the couple decides that they need to be somewhere near people that they know, and set off to visit a slew of people and places.

The biggest departure that "Away We Go" has from Mendes' past work is its lack of room for stylizing. Mendes has received praise and criticism for his stories being too stylzed, with some complaining that his stylization renders emotions weaker (I'd certainly agree that this was the case in "Revolutionary Road", a tragedy that was barely moving at all). Forced to dig deeper into characters, Mendes benefits quite a bit; the people feel much more human, even when they're one note. In addition to the subdued performances from Krasinski and Rudolph, there's also the terrific supporting ensemble which includes Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Chris Messina, and Paul Schneider, each one adding in whatever time they are given, in ways both hilarious and touching. However, some have accused "Away We Go" as being condescending, and this is a criticism that I take issue with. While it's true that Burt and Verona's relationship is shown to be better than some of the couples visited, there are two others (well...one and a half) that simply teach them something about how life works and what a relationship, whether bonded in marriage or not, means. The second criticism is one directed by a small few at Rudolph, claiming that she's too bitter and morose. While her character certainly isn't as lively as Krasinski, this notion that Rudolph takes her character's "bad childhood" trait too far seemed absurd to me while I watched the film. Subdued, and less excitable than most people around her? Yes, but a bitter, overly pessimistic bitch? Not even close. And even if she was, she'd have a hard time keeping "Away We Go" from putting smile on your face, making you laugh, and even moving you a little with its predictable but warmhearted last moments.

Grade: B+