Review: Away We Go

3/4

Please do not characterize this as a romantic comedy. There is no "romance" here, as there is none in Eternal Sunshine, another film whose image is decimated by that putrid genre assignment.

Away We Go is a film rich with sweetness and human quality. It's been a couple of months since I saw it, unfortunately, but I can remember how great an impression the center relationship made on me. I was praying that I had a relationship in my life so beautifully accepting. Indeed, it is much more a best-friendship of quirks and commitment--not a commitment of love and hearts and passion and faithfulness, but of time. These two best friends give each other all of the time of their lives, because they want to. They don't stray from each other, don't consider another life, because they are so genuinely, wonderfully happy being by each other's sides. I suppose I should call this a "companionship comedy". They are simple, like inseparable elementary-school best buddies. Simple-minded and simple in their wishes. It's a very appealing kind of existence.....

Considering the quality I saw in the center relationship, and considering the quirkiness that I'm sure most viewers post up, somewhat shallowly, as the defining characteristic of this film, it is easy to overlook one simple fact: that...wow... Away We Go is funny.
John Krasinski murders the role of Bert, the best relationship comedy central man character of all time. (Let me clarify two things: "murder" is a positive verb, and Bert probably isn't actually the best relationship comedy central man character of all time. But he's up there.) Bert is hilarious and wonderful: blunt, earnest, kind, foolish, awkward, and genuine in every sense of the word. He's also reflective at times, he cares a lot about people and life. He's more relatable, more funny and more genuine than is the norm for these kinds of movies. That's why he's undoubtedly the best relationship comedy central man character of all time.
Maya Rudolph was less special to me, but she's there, and she does it fine. I kind of actually liked a passive counterpart to Bert's flamboyancy. She seemed a little more reserved...if I'm remembering the film fully...and I wouldn't have liked the relationship or the film had there been an actor giving the character a bigger personality. Now that I think about it, I liked Maya Rudolph a lot. We need her.

So this isn't so bad a review---maybe the idea of reviewing long after seeing has an upside: I'm able to give overarching impressions that would be overshadowed by details if I could remember any details.
I liked the film a lot. It was funny and very, very sweet. I think.