A Review of Away We Go

I had been interested in seeing Away We Go for several months before the film was released. Even after the June 5th release date, the film was only available in limited markets. This was all very frustrating. However, this past Tuesday I was finally able to see the latest release from Sam Mendes, and am delighted to say that it was the best movie I've seen in a long time.

Starring John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as Burt and Verona, Away We Go chronicles the journeys of the expecting thirtysomething couple as they travel the country in an attempt to find a place to start and raise their family. Along the way, Burt and Verona encounter other couples and families that embody common relationship problems and pitfalls of our times.

This was one of my favorite aspects of the film. While some of the families were done up in an almost-absurd manner, there was enough truth in each of the relationships to make them plausible. Some of the problems were obvious, while others were much more subtle.

Through all of this, the love that Burt and Verona have for each other is shown. Though Verona turns down Burt's marriage proposals, they are both dedicated to each other and their unborn daughter. I would say that the couple is portrayed as being superior to the other couples in this film, but the reasons for this are shown as well. It is not as if they are unjustifiably better than anyone else.

I don't know if I would describe Away We Go as a comedy. It's a mixture of comedy, romance, and drama. Some of the dialogue and sequences are very funny, but I think the focus of the of the film is the relationship between Burt and Verona. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph play their roles superbly and are a convincing couple. Krasinski's role is distinct enough from his role on The Office, and after a while a viewer forgets his other roles.

The soundtrack of the film is excellent, and I would recommend getting at least a few songs, if not the whole thing.

All in all, I would definitely recommend seeing Away We Go, as it is a tender, heartfelt film. It is the perfect date movie, and I would recommend renting it, if not buying it.

Have you seen Away We Go? Feel free to share your thoughts in the form of a comment. Thank you for reading!