AWAY WE GO (UK/USA 2009) **
Directed by Sam Mendes

After the highly successful Oscar winner AMERICAN BEAUTY and the ultra-serious REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, it is hardly surprising to find director Sam Mendes opting for a lighter fare film with a thinner plot.

In AWAY WE GO, Mendes takes his audience through the U.S. up to Montreal, Quebec as a couple tries to find the perfect place to start up a family.  Their travels take them to several cities, among them Tucson, Madison and Phoenix to list just a few.  The couple Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) encounter a variety of relatives and friends, mostly weird to hold audience attention.

Some characters are more interesting than others, but the major surprise is the character of LN portrayed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.  Krasinski and Rudolph’s chemistry works well to make them a believable couple.

Though the film is often hilarious and good natured, Mendes film contains too much talk and has an artificial feel to it.  The constant fading of segments into songs is strangely monotonous.  Worst is Mendes’ manipulation of his film towards a happy ending.  AWAY WE GO is strictly for the straight audiences with nothing else but a family in mind.