Sorry that I am not writing very much lately. It is a very busy time and I haven’t really been watching many films (am re-watching Lost in the evenings to calm down…). Hopefully I will have more time to watch and write again soon!

The new Sam Mendes film Away We Go is unlike any of his other films. It is (or seems) very low budget and also low key. It actually feels a bit like a side project that he wanted to do for himself rather than to make money.

Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) are counting on Burt’s parents help when Verona unexpectedly gets pregnant. Unfortunately, the parents decide that this would be the best time to realize their dreams and move to Belgium. With them gone, Burt and Verona have no reason to stay at their old house and now have the freedom to chose a new place to live and to raise the child. The take a trip to a few different places where they have family or friends to find their new home.

It is an unusual road trip with beautiful characters and funny and heartwarming dialogues. Away We Go really is a wonderful movie. I have never seen either of the main actors before (or at least I am not aware of it) and thought they were both great. Both of them have a certain “normal” and slightly “jaded” but nicely quirky quality to them that makes them very accessible to the audience. Most of the supporting roles are well known, such as, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeff Daniels, Melanie Lynskey and Paul Schneider. I love the mix of famous and new actors this way. Normally the lead actors are well known and the side charters are played by new actors, so this is fun.

Away We Go deserves a MovieCat award for being a truly beautiful love story.