Review: One for the road

Away We Go

Cast: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Chris Messina, Catherine O'Hara, Paul Schneider, Carmen Ejogo, Jim Gaffigan

Director: Sam Mendes

Rating: * *

Sam Mendes seems to have an inside track on the way Americans live their lives. 'American Beauty', 'Revolutionary Road' and now 'Away We go', Sam's take maybe true pictures alright but they are just too American to be of much interest to a less morally deprived world.

'Away We Go' is a road movie of sorts, the central characters-an expectant couple Burt and Verona (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph), rootless and clueless as they are, travel from place to place in search of a real home and family. The younger of the two, Burt, is immature while Verona appears to be mature, if a little impatient. The film unfolds in anecdotal style and appears almost rudderless in its effort to give the couple the security and comfort of a much needed family.

Screenwriters Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida fashion a tale that is uninteresting and boring in its American fixation and Sam Mendes' treatment of it is equally uninspiring. John Krasinki's Burt is appealingly sincere and Maya Rulph's Verona is endearing but the two never really give us a deeper peep into their characters' true selves. As a result you don't feel connected to their plight and wonder why they have to be so nomadic in their search for a family. This is unconvincing fare!