Ah! Sam Mendes! That old poe face laugh a minute joker is at at again. After covering suburban alienation, violent gangster under worlds, the effects of war on the psyche, marriage meltdowns, suicide and murder, he’s this time turned his cynical humanist hand to… an all out sweet comedy? And one that is as brilliantly simple in execution as it is uncomplicated in plot.

After odd couple Burt and Verona find out (in a brilliantly played opening scene) that they are expecting a baby and also that Burt’s parents are fleeing the country before the birth, the pair find themselves strangely unencumbered with no real sense of place or home and set off on a little trip to visit old friends with the hope of deciding where they want to raise their family. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph’s off kilter chemistry and perfect comedy timing helps make this easy ride also a very funny one.

In not much more than a series of meetings with old friends and relatives and with much pondering of what it is to be a parent, how children change your life, what it means to be “home” and other quaint philosophical musings, Away We Go sometimes veers into thick sentiment (especially in the closing scenes) only to be brought back from the brink with many genuinely funny moments.

Very often with comedy (especially the romantic variety) it’s an extremely cliched skelleton in the closet that puts the final nail in the coffin. In Away We Go Burt and Verona’s relationship feels so natural and normal and well… boring, there’s barely a cross word said between them, (something that even Verona herself is a little peeved about). Tonally its a brilliant move by husband and wife writers David Eggers & Vendela Vida as it’s this lack of pressure for there to be a great dramatic revelation and it’s disregard for hinting at character’s epiphanies that makes it so enjoyable. Everything just blows by, even the acoustic guitar heavy soundtrack breezes through the film making everything about it is so carefree.

Mendes’ direction is simple too, with rarely more than a drifting camera letting the performances play out. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeff Daniels, a brilliant Allison Janney and the criminally underrated Paul Schneider lend a hand in helping the couple decide which city to live in, but its Krasinski and Rudolph’s intimate and hilarious scenes alone that did it for me especially Burt’s consistently block-headed attempts to get his girlfriend’s and baby’s heart rate up.

A very welcome change of pace for Mendes after the powerful but drab Revolutionary Road and despite a fairly obvious and syrupy ending Away We Go is a slow burning heartfelt and very enjoyable piece of film making.