In this fast-paced world of blogging, tweeting and fly-by-night film voyeurism, sometimes one doesn't have the time to give a film proper treatment. More importantly, others do not always have the time to read it. Sometimes you just have to take it around back and squeeze one out in 1-2-3 quick licks.
Think of The Jizt as the wham, bam, thank you ma'am of reviews.
Away We Go
Release: 06.05.09
DVD Release: 09.29.09
Rated R
1 hour, 38 minutes
Matinee
Cast: Maya Rudolph (Idiocracy), John Krasinski (Smiley Face), Paul Schneider (Lars and the Real Girl)
The Build-up: Expectant parents Burt and Verona travel the country visiting family and friends in search of the perfect place for their new family to call home.
The Blurt-out: A great movie for armchair travel, yet how this impoverished duo affords their jet setting itinerary remains a mystery.
The Jizt: Curling up with a large mug of marshmallow-topped hot chocolate is the perfect way to evoke the warm fuzzies buried within this awkward, flaky tale.
"...and his Jizt literally enveloped my entire hand!"
I really dug this movie - am I reading your jitz right: you didn't like it all that much?
ReplyDeleteI thought it was an average/slightly above average flick. The characters were funny as were their bizarre situations, but it didn't always make sense.
ReplyDeleteIt was a nice, feel-good film. I just thought you shouldn't linger on the details too long.
Interesting...I actually thought it had a lot to say, especially in the back nine where their Montreal friend wonders if we as a generation have been selfish by waiting so much longer to settle down and have families.
ReplyDeleteNo? Nothin??
I'll agree with Hatter that the Montreal scenes had the most poignancy, but for an overall grade, I'm more with the Whore. Or maybe somewhere in between the two of you. And the "how did they afford it?" question really bothered me, too.
ReplyDelete@Mad Hatter- I liked the Montreal couple the best. Much more interesting than the plain weird LN & her communal bed.
ReplyDeleteBy details, I meant the logistics of things - like Fletch said. The lack of a doctor's note was funny but it just reminded me how improbable their whole travel plans were and how they could easily afford to make those impromptu changes. That kept nagging at me when I should have been focused on the dialogue.
@Fletch- What would it have needed? Maybe two lines at the parents dinner table offering to pony up for their sight-seeing. Done and done. I could have enjoyed it just fine from then on.
Yeah, LN and her earthiness seemed like a bit of a charicature - you certainly have a point there.
ReplyDeleteI think the thing with both LN and Lily/Lowell were that Burt and Verona mentioned that they don't really have any close friends. So for me that re-inforces the notion of going to meet these peripheral people in their lives to see if they're the sort who they can lean on when they first move.
It's like a drawn out version of thinking you could be friends with someone at work, but then you go for lunch with them and find out they're deceptively nutty.
Just my two cents, but I thought the back end of it - the time spent in Montreal and Florida - made up for the slightness of the opening.
Then again, maybe I was just blinded by thoughts of wanting to be seen as part of a strong couple like Burt & Verona seem to be.
go for lunch with them and find out they're deceptively nutty.
ReplyDeleteI know EXACTLY what you mean there!
Dangit. All this talk about Away We Go is going to have me watching it again. Burt & Verona were a strong couple which did surprise me considering what a doofus Burt seemed to be. Guess that was the point; all you need is love (as cliche as it may sound).
Damn, this was a great film. Totally unexpected!
ReplyDeleteHere's my paragraph review: http://paragraphfilms.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/away-we-go/