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,

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?

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.

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!