5 days ago
4.29.2009
Trailer: Away We Go
I saw this trailer when I went to go see "State of Play" last week, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since then. I think I'm supposed to like this movie, but something about it makes me uneasy.
So I thought I would do a scientific analysis to decide whether I should be a.) excited or b.) cautious, when I eventually see it.
This will make much more sense if you watch the trailer first. It's two and a half minutes. You're not doing any work anyway.
Pros-
Dave Eggers- The film was written by Eggers, whose phenomenal "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" I am thoroughly enjoying right now. If the movie can avoid the sometimes meandering devices Eggers used in AHWOSG, it should be funny.
Supporting cast- In the trailer alone we witness Maggie Gyllenhaal (phenomenal), Jim Gaffigan (with a moustache! Can it get any better?) and Allison Janney (who I thought was the best actor in "Juno," nevermind being sassy as hell in "The West Wing").
Sam Mendes- The man directed "American Beauty." Enough said.
The 1989 Volvo 240 sedan seen in the trailer- My first car, so a soft spot is warranted I think.
Jeff Daniels- After "The Squid and the Whale" I will watch anything that man is in. Yes, and that includes his entire back catalog, especially his bit role in a 1980 episode of "Hawaii-Five-0."
Somewhere between pro and con-
John Krasinski- I think he's terribly effective on "The Office" but haven't seen a role he's played in a movie yet that hasn't made me think "Wow, he's a really good TV actor." That said, he has a pretty decent-looking beard in the film.
Cons-
Hippies- Gyllenhaal seems to wear a lot of light silky fabrics in the trailer, and looks pretty dirty. Hippies can not be tolerated in film, except in "Dazed and Confused."
Okay, the pros far outweigh the cons. Even throwing in a wild card (Maya Rudolph?) doesn't seem like it will drag this movie down.
Your thoughts?
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Screams "fake indie movie", acoustic track over the trailer (Napoleon Dynamite, Juno), fake/purposely lo-fi animation(See above, add ...Infinite Playlist, Little Miss Sunshine). Loveable losers (See all, add Smart people). Old crappy cars(see all).
ReplyDeleteCall me a cynic but I think that genre maxed out with Superbad, which was is in my top five all time. The movie could be good, I'm just tired of the formulaic "indie" comedy drama.
"All we can do is be good for this one baby" kind of killed it for me.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right, Office guy needs to sell paper and stop having dreams of cinematic stardom.
Oh god, agree with first commenter. It's trying way to hard to be indie, from the animated bits that look like notebook sketches to the music and the shots of people standing/sitting still and looking expressionless. I like indie movies and I like Maggie Gyllenhaal and Allison Janney, but John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as the main characters I think are at the top of what kills it for me. I kept waiting for him to look into the camera.
ReplyDeleteI like it. I'm not going to write it off because it looks like Little Miss Sunshine and such, because guess what? I LIKE THOSE KIND OF MOVIES. There's no reason a movie can't be enjoyable and yet also remind one of previous works.
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ReplyDeleteBoo this trailer! Boo! Speaking of Eggers, I'm going to try submitting some things to McSweeny's Internet Tendency. Did you know they have lists?? Btw, while I did enjoy AHWOSG, I'd really hesitate to call it "phenomenal".
ReplyDeleteFor some reason whenever I watch this trailer I keep thinking about "Stranger Than Fiction." Is it just Maggie Gyllenhaal or is there some stylistic similarity that someone else can point out?
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