Away' pleases viewers

The incredible performances of Away We Go will take viewers to all the right places.

In Away We Go, Verona (Maya Rudolph) and Burt (John Krasinski) live the Bohemian thirty-something dream until they discover that they’re expecting a baby. The couple embarks on a continental search for the perfect city to raise their child, with a surprisingly sincere, entertaining series of highjinks and character studies ensuing.

Don’t be fooled by the movie’s indie, Juno-like marketing. Unlike the over-stylized comedy about Ellen Page and Michael Cera playing themselves in the skins of hipster teenagers, Away We Go tells a heartfelt and sincere story of two sympathetic, realistic people in their 30’s who come to terms with their flaws and settle down.

Of course, during the journey viewers are entertained with a variety of exciting locales populated by a colorful cast of character actors. Perhaps the movie should have been titled ‘Burt and Verona Don’t Have Any Normal Friends,’ but the over-the-top quirkiness of the people they encounter is usually spot-on and never contrived. Maggie Gyllenhaal makes a wonderful new-ager, while other characters steal the show along the way.

However, this movie also has poignant moments. Anyone who has felt deeply for another person will see their partners in the goofy mishaps and irritating vulnerabilities of the two leads.

Aside from a stretch of dialogue that lasts about half a beat too long in the latter half of the film, viewers will be hard-pressed to find a single line or joke that doesn’t resonate or at least feel perfect and adorable where it is.

Director Sam Mendes summoned incredibly sincere performances from these two leads, which should come as no surprise considering he is the director of the harshly introspective flicks American Beauty and Revolutionary Road.

Mendes also has a gift for finding the sublime in common, everyday visuals. Shots of the couple wandering through universities and neon-lit streets feel real, which helps the viewer sympathize with the plight of Burt and Verona as they mingle through a world filled with confused, lost people.

Musician Alexi Murdoch peppers the background of Away We Go with gentle folk ballads that will surely draw the praise of America’s emerging hipster folk fans, with vocals that recall the soft tones of Sufjan Stevens or even Iron and Wine. The songs themselves are also extremely well-placed in the movie, with every lyric and chord helping to progress the story of the main characters’ journey.

Away We Go is a pleasantly surprising treat that all alternative movie lovers should see at the River Oaks Theatre or any art house where it may soon be playing.
‘