Away We Go

The advertisements for this film starring John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph were all over Myspace about a week ago, but I viewed the trailer for the first time last night. After doing so, I had to see it. Since it is an independent film, a friend and I had to drive a bit in order to see it. We ended up at an indie theatre in Scottsdale, because it was the only place it was playing in the valley. We actually were quite lucky, because it is not uncommon for films like these to be unavailable to view in the cultural wasteland I live in. Of course the drive was worth it, because it has already become a favorite!



The movie begins with Bert (John Krasinski) orally pleasuring Verona (Maya Rudolph) and noticing a different taste in her natural lady juice, which of course means she is either menopausal or pregnant. The couple lives in the same town as Bert's parents, who announce they are relocating to Belgium a month prior to the birth of the baby. Bert and Verona decide to go on a trip to several different cities in order to find a new place to call home. They visit cities which have at least a couple residents they are familiar with and the film follows their interactions with the people from their past (notable characters played by Maggie Gyllenhaal and Allison Janney), as well as their interactions with the cities themselves. (Side note: It was interesting to see Phoenix, the city I call home, in the film. It was however, rather upsetting that we were unaware of the filming. I would have stalked Phoenix Greyhound park for the chance to meet Krasinski!) The film may appear to be another feel-good indie comedy, with a typical indie soundtrack, but it has several dimensions which affect every emotion. The soundtrack contains 13 songs, ten of which are by Alexi Murdoch. It is very usual indie-flick music, folk with a soft male voice singing over a mellow acoustic guitar strum. Despite the fact that it has been done so many times, it was still enjoyable. Additionally, I was elated when "What is Life" by George Harrison began playing during their visit to Montreal. I was singing along in my seat with a huge smile on my face.

Moving on to more of my own opinions, it probably should be said that I am the type of person who criticizes any seemingly insignificant aspect of a film that happens to bother me a great deal, but coming out of this one, I only had one dismissible annoyance. On positive notes, the movie made me laugh so hard, it hurt, I was on the verge of tears several times, and I fell in love with virtually every character. Since I am a big fan of The Office, I have been infatuated with John Krasinski for a while. In this movie, he plays the perfect man. (Well, perhaps not perfect. He could have made a bit more money and not live in a trailer. ha) We were talking about his character while in line at the bathroom for about three hours, and came to a couple conclusions: 1. It is so great that a male can be portrayed in this manner. 2. It is ultimately crushing due to the fact that no one like Bert actually exists! A girl can dream though. I love the intelligent, somewhat geeky, extremely sweet, but sarcastic and humorous type of male with a beard and trendy glasses. AKA John Krasinski's character in the movie. Plus, he is really tall and has great teeth. Alright, now I may be going too far straying off topic, but one can easily grasp the point I am trying to make: watch the movie! You shall laugh, you shall cry (or at least feel like you could), and you shall ultimately FEEL. Brilliant, bloody brilliant.

View Trailer here.

Just to end it all on a classy note:

(Image via Elle)