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Rating: Rising to international prominence with his triumph at the 2000 Academy Awards thanks to his "American Beauty," Sam Mendes was able to leverage his initial success to build a remarkable career, continuing with substantial films like "Road to Perdition," "Jarhead," and the latest demanding "Revolutionary Road." According to the director himself, after a film like the one with DiCaprio and Winslet, he needed to create a work that would slightly temper the psychological and sentimental urges that had animated "Revolutionary Road." Thus, "Away We Go" was born, known in Italian as "American Life," perhaps to recall the director's first film and maybe arouse curiosity in some nostalgic viewers. In reality, there are no common points between the two stories.
A slight thread of connection can be found with "Revolutionary Road": indeed, American Life sketches the sentimental life of two people now in their thirties and pessimistic about their future. They are portrayed by John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, little-known names suitable for playing the role of "normalcy" that the film expresses. The couple's main concern is related to the baby that Verona (Maya Rudolph) is carrying. The two don't know how to face the problems that will arise in a few months, given that their current house is certainly not fit to host the early years of a newborn. Thus, they embark on a kind of "on the road" journey in search of family members and old friends, to find the right place and company to raise the baby.
Sam Mendes has created a light film, a simple comedy softened in tone but still important in its reflection on the difficult conditions of young couples today. Children being born at increasingly advanced ages, generally difficult situations, sometimes even without the support of parents. Everything contributes to creating clouds over an already complicated future.
An engaging soundtrack (by Alexi Murdoch) and the general tone of the film ensure that Mendes' latest work can be savored in every aspect: if the director's intent was to make a light film that would momentarily "disconnect" from past commitments, the Briton fully succeeded in this, even without delivering a masterpiece. An hour and a half of irony and some reflective points not to be underestimated.
"You won't enjoy it as much again until you discover oral sex."
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