Away

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,

Spall has lost his wife and can't cope and Temple is on the run from her violent boyfriend. An unlikely friendship develops.

Absorbing and convincing drama brought well to land through fine performances by both the leads, particularly Temple who's eyes cut right through you and a strong script

Not sure I wholly bought the ending, but I'll live with it.

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!

My interest in cinema was first stimulated by such films as "A Taste of Honey" and "A kind of Loving"-films which depicted gritty aspects of British life. "AWAY" is a film in this tradition, a portrait of a relationship between two disparate souls in search of some sort of redemption or renewal. Juno Temple is magnetic and Timothy Spall is magnificently moody-excellent performances from both actors. The photography is very good, and I really liked the music track. Blackpool provides a great backdrop, and appealed to me as a 'character' in its own right, providing a bridge between the two characters - having simultaneously an ageing underbelly, whilst displaying regrowth and renewal-and maybe hope for a better future?

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. In today's continuously challenging world , it hit some very strong chords with me. So often new films today seem to have little to say, often the same old story lines with slight twists. However, this really got me thinking about life, it's complexities and the reality of the difficulties so many people face. Life's journey is never simple, and every so often a film is released that captures something special ...I think it will be very popular, especially with people who enjoy films that have more to them than the basic Hollywood stuff...some seriously good acting, and music fab.actually the music was superb! The story line has the ability to remind one that ,although you may have your own issues and challenges, you are not alone. In today's environment so many people face daily survival and this film reminded me , there are many in the same boat. I think it's a must see ,and is a film one could watch more than once to really capture its powerful symbolism .