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'Away We Go'
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Photo: Big Beach Films
Away We Go is a film written by Vendela Vida and Dave Eggers, two writers who also happened to be married. The film is a new venture for the two, both typically write novels and short stories. Directed by Sam Mendes, who is known for his experimental film styles, the film intertwines comedy with emotional truth. Away We Go is a film for writers and readers; a character study that could easily be translated into a novel perfect for the best-sellers list.
The film follows Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph). A couple, who are not married, expecting their first child. Both in their mid-thirties, Burt and Verona seem to be caught in life, and the two learn that Burt's parents are moving to Belgium. In response to the fact that their baby's only grandparents are moving away, the couple decide to move themselves and search for a new city to live in. Burt and Verona jump from city to city, meet with various people from their past, and try to find a new place to start their family.
Anyone familiar with Eggers and Vida know their style of writing, and how they both develop characters that are eccentric but also subtle. The gift that both writers share is their ability to translate layered characters through various acts and emotions. Many of the actors in the film do not understand this, so much of the acting is awkward. Allison Janney plays Lily, Verona's former boss. Lily is a mother who seems to hold a grudge against her children and husband, so she releases her aggression through alcohol and verbal abuse. Janney accentuates the character's outspokenness and underplays the stuff that lingers beneath the surface. Janney basically over-acts, and Lily becomes to much of a clown to be taken as either comical or real. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays LN, a former childhood friend of Burt's. LN is a feminist, and a new-age kind of parent. Gyllenhaal, much like Janney, seems to play on the obvious and does not focus on what is between the lines. Both actresses seem to use exaggeration without any grounding to make for truthful portrayals. Jim Gaffigan plays Lily's husband Lowell. Gaffigan seems to understand the character dynamic that Vida and Eggers have been trying to establish. Gaffigan plays Lowell with reservation, but he exposes the realities of the character that sit underneath and form his true personality. The rest of the cast is hit or miss, it seems some understand subtle and nuance while some do not.
The film relies heavily on Krasinski and Rudolph, thankfully the two understand their characters perfectly. Krasinski proves he is a real actor, not just comic relief. Burt is portrayed as eager but also sincere, and Krasinski brings out more then just laughable moments. Rudolph is the real standout of the film. Rudolph's portrayal of Verona is considerate. Verona shows her anxiousness and reluctance about being a mother, and the character is both heartbreaking as well as sympathetic. Rudolph and Krasinski are simply refreshing to watch.
The film is a different kind of film for Mendes. American Beauty and Revolutionary Road were both about family dynamics, but also about major emotional conflicts. Jarhead and Road to Perdition were more experimental films, both using innovative film techniques to explore themes of redemption as well as reflection. Away We Go is the most comedic film Mendes has made, and for the most part he does an adequate job. Mendes begins the film with stark images and soft contemplation, but as the film progresses Mendes seems to lose his voice. The middle of the film could have been directed by most anyone. Near the end of the film Mendes returns, and eloquence reappears, which helps push the film back to where it began. As a whole the film holds obvious Mendes moments, but his touch is not as significant as his previous pictures.
Away We Go is a film conceived by two gifted writers, and the film was conceptualized by one of the best directors working today. While some of the actors misunderstood the characters they were portraying, Krasinski and Rudolph hit their respective parts directly on the mark. The film was a new venture for Mendes, and while it was not a complete success, the film was rewarding in the end. The scenes are often much like the writing of both Eggers and Vida, stark, beautiful, and eloquent. Away We Go is a film for anyone that enjoys films about life, intense and awkward, it is a story for most anyone.
To learn more about this film log on to: www.imdb.com/title/tt1176740/
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