amandamundin Review of Away

Away (I) (2016)

Fab film with great script, performances and soundtrack!

[10/10 · 22 June 2017]

Away is the bittersweet story of two disparate individuals who come together in the shadows of Blackpool (the third major presence in the film captured perfectly by cinematographer Felix Wiedemann). The dialogue is realistic, allowing an authentic relationship to develop between Ria (Juno Temple) and Joseph (Timothy Spall) in which we as an audience are fully engaged. The action is perfectly enhanced by the accompanying soundtrack featuring Indiana and Daughter. Quite often with low budget films we have to accept that 'something's gotta give', with Away, absolutely nothing gives at all apart from the lead actors, in the sense that they appear to give it their all. A sign of a good director who can get such fine performances from actors who really are clearly in it for the love on this one! So many nuanced scenes – just look and delight at the way Ria's face lights up with wonder and awe as the illuminations come on. The whole film brims with class and intelligence, lots of other people coming out of the film were referencing social realism with likeness made to A Taste of Honey and Tyrannosaur. If I were involved in the making of this film, I'd be very happy indeed to be taking away those comparisons. No pun intended ;)