Okay, let’s cut to the chase: there are two ways of viewing Sam Mendes’ Away We Go. Fans laud it as a heartfelt film that gracefully traces the journey of an expectant couple. Detractors are less forgiving. ‘Self-indulgent cheese-fest’ is one description thrown around. Where you stand will depend wholly on personal taste. For me, I’m going with the cheese.

Don’t get me wrong, the film is not without its moments and I have nothing against cheese. Academy Award winner Mendes does present an interesting meditation on domesticity in wonderfully visual fashion.

But even the lush cinematography failed to stop a self-conscious stream of quirkiness rearing its ugly head every other minute. It was so uncomfortable that at times I had little choice but to shield my eyes with a nearby cushion – an evasive measure last employed during Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist!

I was scared…

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not questioning Mendes’ intentions. Clearly he set out to convey an honest exposé of the difficulties facing first-time parents.

And to some extent he achieves this.

The expectant couple – played by John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph – trek America in search of the perfect place to call home. On their travels they encounter a raft of….you guessed it…..quirky people and are left to contemplate their own parental skills.

Throughout their travels the film espouses the notion that even the most carefully devised plan can’t account for the challenges life throws in the way; so have a little faith, love those around you and do the best you can.

Okay, fair enough, I’ll buy that.

But this hippyism is frequently overshadowed by the selfish demeanour of every character – with the exception of the two central players.

What results is a litany of heavy-handed messages stamped all over a movie not quite sure of its own identity.

Mendes could of course be caught in the throes of some meta-musing on the pervasive uncertainty swamping the minds of America’s parents – hmmm, maybe…maybe not.

Either way, it’s confusing.

Speaking of confusing…

You know, it’s the little things in life that bother me. Just those details and facts that, however irrelevant, need answering. It’ll come as no surprise then that I’ve spent a number of years speculating as to the exact temperature at which bread should be considered toast. And having watched Away We Go, I’m faced with a similar dilemma: when does quirky become sickly? Is there a means to measure the cheese-density of a movie?

To put my misgivings about Away We Go aside for one moment, I have to credit Mendes as a talented director. Having enjoyed American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead, as well as Revolutionary Road, I have no plans to boycott his future output. In fact, I remain excited by the prospect of a character-driven director taking over the reins of the Bond franchise (Away We Go would have benefited from guns, gadgets, and evil Persian cats).

Mendes’ offering sets sail among the raft of contemplative dramedies produced by the American filmmaking machine over the past decade. Away We Go does, for example, exhibit similar sensibilities to Little Miss Sunshine. But unlike its predecessor which just stayed on the right side of quirky, Away We Go delivers like an over-excited fondue fountain.

So if be advised: if you watch this movie wear a raincoat and stand well back…

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars – available on Blu-ray and DVD