Flight of fancy; Movie mogul Mendes takes off in a new direction in this fun-filled family lark.

Sam Mendes has very quickly established himself as a master creator of heavyweight - and award-winning - big screen drama.

He started at the top, of course, grabbing Oscar success with American Beauty and then came the best of Paul Newman at the tail end of his career in gangster epic Road To Perdition.

Then the highly-acclaimed movie director plunged into the front line with the gritty, Kuwait war film Jarhead.

Last time around, of course, Mendes reunited his missus Kate Winslet with her Titanic co-ster Leonardo DiCaprio to act out the angst and tears of a troubled relationship in Revolutionary Road.

So, when the latest Sam Mendes movie comes along we might expect, naturally enough, that we are about to witness the delivery of some more meaty drama.

But, perhaps because he recognised that he might have been in danger of becoming a tad predictable, Mendes decided to do something completely different.

Because with Away We Go the talented movie maker has stepped down a gear to concoct a much more leisurely and lighter affair than any of his previous, much celebrated efforts.

Here, Mendes weaves together several not-very-tightly-connected strands as he directs a road movie with a difference.

The travellers that we are set to follow are John Krasinski, from the American version of TV hit The Office, as Burt and his pregnant girlfriend Maya Rudolph, of Saturday Night Live fame as Verona. The thirtysomething couple are happy with their decision to move closer to Burt's parents, Jerry and Gloria Farlander, so the grandparents-to-be can share their joy and play a big part in their baby's life.

But in her sixth month of pregnancy, Jerry and Gloria suddenly announce they are upping sticks and moving to Belgium the month before the baby is due - for no other reason than it's simply something they have always wanted to do.

Surprised by mum and dad's indifference and downright selfishness, the couple decide they should move on too.

They want to share their new experience of parenthood with people that they love and so set off on a trans-atlantic trip to re-connect with old friends and relatives.

Burt and Verona hope their adventure will help them decide on a place to settle down and raise a family before their baby puts in an appearance.

On their route, the twosome encounter a mixed batch of friends and family, most of whom are married with children - including Carmen Ejogo as Verona's sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal as a slightly deranged hippy and Allison Janney as a mum who might benefit from some sessions in therapy.

While Away We Go might be a bit too loosely held together to be entirely successful, it is blessed with the arrival of Maya Rudolph as a big screen presence - we should definitely be seeing much more of her.

It is also a film that you'll leave with the beginnings of a smile spreading over your face.

CAPTION(S):

PARENTHOOD... Burt and Verona decide take a trip across America to find a place to raise a family QUIRKY... The couple meet a hippy played by Maggie Gyllenhaal