Away

I saw this film at the Edinburgh film festival and it was fantastic. The two main leads are incredible and the relationship they have is very believable. It's a film about love (platonic) and hope. It's gritty, funny and may reduce you to tears, but you just can't stop watching. I loved the way the story is not told in a linear fashion so it's not until the end that you know everything that's happened which keeps you interested and guessing about what draws and binds the leads together. The film had an excellent response from audiences at Edinburgh. If you fancy a break from all the blockbusters and want to watch an intelligent, brilliant film, definitely give this a try.

Life is anything but fun in Blackpool,"the Vegas of the North", for the wildly different leading characters in this roller-coaster story of unlikely friendship. Seedy, middle-aged Joseph (Timothy Spall) and tarty teenage Ria (Juno Temple) are both in pain, seeking escape amongst the neon lights and seagulls. His unwilling response to her emotional need turns into recognition that he likes her and that their conditions are similar, leading to a shocking, very moving climax. Spall's curmudgeon is a bit overdone and unintelligible at times; Temple is convincing as the hard-shelled victim of 21st century drug culture, and their interplay is delightful to watch. This is a poignant, entertaining drama reminiscent of classic British films such as "Poor Cow" and "Up the Junction" but with a modern edge. Terrific music too!

North western England, young Ria (Temple) runs away from an abusive man with his stash of cocaine. She hides out in Blackpool hoping to find a way to sell the stash so she and her best friend can get on with their lives away from drugs and abuse. There she meets Joseph (Spall), a run down older man who has only thoughts of killing himself because of something in his recent past. The two bond, they somehow feel safe with one another. Inevitably the abuser Dex (Ryan) finds out where she is and it comes to a showdown on the shores of Blackpool.

This was a good story, not fully original but everyone who makes one of these puts their own spin on it. I hadn't heard of any of the actors but not surprising as it is a British film and that certainly didn't stop me from watching it. The film moved along a bit slow at first and I kept getting a bit confused with all the flashbacks that were happening and there were a lot of them. Closer to the end the flashbacks started making sense.

No CGI here, wasn't needed and if there were I certainly couldn't see it. It was just a story about drugs and abuse and two opposites who form an unlikely friendship. It was enjoyable and emotional, I likely won't see it twice but I'm not sorry I watched it.

A brilliant film which i saw at the Edinburgh Festival., The chemistry between Juno and Timothy was fascinating and well thought out. There was a touch of humor, great music which added a lot to the film and sadness as well. The flashbacks to how the 2 main characters arrived in Blackpool was gripping. Blackpool was an ideal location for this film because it is usually a place where you can have fun and and seen as the Vegas of the UK. The idea to have an older man and a young woman as the main characters was terrific and really paid off.I would recommend this film to anyone who likes films with a difference.I truly hope Away is great success and wish it the best of luck in the future.

This movie centers around the bond between two lost souls - one driven by guilt, the other by desparation. Both are painfully lonely, yet seemingly unaware of this fact. This movie does start off slowly - but people are complex, especially these characters, so it would not be realistic to have them immediately portrayed. The young woman has experienced much hardship, yet remains optimistic - too optimistic considering the role that life has handed her. Spall is incredible as one of the most tortured souls portrayed in a film. Be patient with this movie - their pasts are gently rolled out and only then do we barely begin to understand how they ended up in their current emotional states. The soundtrack was dreadful - much too powerful a movie - it needed a powerful soundtrack,