Away We Go

Colour, 35 mm
USA, United Kingdom, 2009, 98 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

Burt and Verona are thirtysomethings, a stable pair who are now expecting a baby. Suddenly, however, they discover the worst is about to happen. They have to deal with ideas from their parents, relatives, and friends – but, above all, they have to find a suitable place where they can settle down and start a family. Before the newest member of the family utters a word they must slog a long road toward finding balance in life. Sam Mendes, director of the Oscar-winning drama American Beauty (1999), has once again proven himself to be a directing chameleon who can jump genres without losing his creative identity. After the intensely dark, psychological Revolutionary Road (2008), he is trying his hand for the first time at the lighter fare of comedy, interpreting it in his own unostentatious way. The movie represents one of the first studio projects made according to the so-called green line. In order to reduce the amount of waste produced by the crew, recycled materials were primarily used during shooting.

About the director

Sam Mendes (b. 1965, Reading, United Kingdom) earned himself an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his Hollywood debut American Beauty (1999, starring Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening), a relationship drama set in a superficially idyllic suburb. His directorial credits include well-regarded TV adaptations of the successful musicals Cabaret (1993) and Company (1996), the blackly comic war drama Jarhead (2005) starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Foxx, an adaptation of the graphic novel Road to Perdition (2002) with Tom Hanks, and Revolutionary Road (2008), a drama unraveling the breakup of a marriage, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and the director’s wife Kate Winslet (the role brought her a Golden Globe). Mendes also consistently directs for theater and has earned production credits as well (e.g. the likable drama The Kite Runner, shot by Marc Forster from Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling novel).