>=AWAY WE GO|]

I was going to watch Inglourious Basterds last night. It was the first time it was playing but I thought I would be okay at this one cinema where it's usually never that crowded. But this time, however, it was completely full. The end of the cue was outside on the street and when it finally was my turn the film had already sold out long time ago. So instead I went to see Away We Go which I wanted to see for a while already as well. First I didn't have that much interest in seeing it but that changed apparently and for the last couple of days it had been at the top of my 'movies I want to see the most'-list. Sam Mendes is best known for American Beauty and recently did the great Revolutionary Road. This one film is completely different. Some people will complain saying it's another one of those hipster indie feel good flicks like Juno or Little Miss Sunshine. True, there's the road trip with the frequent interludes of singer songwriter guitar music. But you can't help falling in love with these characters which are wonderfully played by the two leads. Especially Maya Rudolph who is probably best known for her work on Saturday Night Live is so gentle and brings such a calmth to her character. She had me completely. It's a beautiful performance. If I was the one handing out Oscars at the beginning of next year I would give her one. The only one outshining her is Maggie Gyllenhaal who has a small but very memorable role. Just the other day I watched The Hangover and I must say I'd choose Away We Go over that one anytime. I'm not saying I really disliked The Hangover but it's slightly overrated. One of the characters is so dumb it's not even funny. I much more prefer well written characters with character traits that make you laugh because they're so recognizable. Yes, some of the characters, like Maya Rudolph's former boss or John Krasinski's parents, are a bit over the top, perhaps trying a little bit too much, but they were really funny and characters I could identify with. Apart from that this film has some real substance, it's not all jokes. It's about two people realizing they've reached the moment in their life they'll be starting a real family but who aren't quite sure yet if they're up for it. I love that they go on a trip to meet friends or family and see the families they have and eventually they realize that there's no such thing as a perfect family and you just have to do it your way and see what happens. There's no textbook that teaches you how to do it. So by the end of last night I wasn't that disappointed for not having seen the basterds in action. I will soon probably. And perhaps on Monday I'll go check out a preview screening of Lars Von Trier's Antichrist :D