Away (I) (2016) User Reviews

Away

[henry8-3 · 6/10 · 2 March 2019]

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.

British made film with a good story.

[KevTheMovieReviewer · 6/10 · 11 September 2018]

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.

Powerfully emotional performances....

[wildsparrow16 · 7/10 · 6 September 2018]

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,

Grim British drama set in Blackpool

[bazookamouth-221-898097 · 6/10 · 19 April 2023]

In this sombre British drama, two troubled individuals come together to form an unlikely friendship. The older of the two is Joseph (Timothy Spall), a boozy, depressed widower who has come to Blackpool so that he can kill himself. After a failed attempt, he is discovered by Ria (Juno Temple), a feisty young woman who is running away from an abusive relationship. She believes that the two of them should become friends, but Joseph pushes her away at every turn, which is where the film starts to feel slightly repetitive. On the plus side, it features an impressive performance from Temple, who conveys the vulnerability that lies beneath her character's tough, streetwise exterior. Sadly, though, the film itself is so grim and downbeat that it may just be too bleak for some. Timothy and Juno make this better than it is and Matt Ryan makes for a surprisingly intimidating villain figure, but the amount of clichés and melodrama here make the nearly two hour run time feel like an eternity. Also, note to directors: telling your story out of sequence doesn't immediately make it better. It is really messy sequencing but still worth worthing.

Must See

[clarkfraser · 9/10 · 6 July 2016]

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.

Timothy Spall brilliant as usual...

[happeeman · 2/10 · 28 May 2017]

DO NOT believe the high ratings about this movie because it is boring beyond belief. I thoroughly hated it. I know a good movie when I see one - this comes nowhere near to being a good movie. It is utter rubbish and drivel in the extreme and has no good story-line or anything to make it exciting or engaging. Timothy Spall is just great but the movie sucks to high heaven. I wouldn't sit through this trash again if you paid me $100.

How the hell do movies like this get high ratings on here? It's all a massive con to make us watch garbage like this. The 2 stars I give this is for Spall's acting, otherwise I'd give it zero. A bloody waste of time. Watch it and see that I'm right. I love Timothy Spall but he must be embarrassed at how awful the script is. Total junk!

Great story, amazing performances. Cool music

[jtebretton · 10/10 · 24 June 2016]

Hi, saw this film at Edinburgh film festival and it knocked my socks off. I cried and laughed. Juno Temple and Tim Spall are amazing in it, those eyes staring down from the big screen (Juno's!) and Spall is very convincing in his wretched situation. Great story and how it's told is really clever as it's not straight forward like you might get with a Hollywood Blockbuster: You get fed elements of the story as small morsels along the way to always keep you enthralled. The scenery also makes me want to go to Blackpool too so a good advert there for them! A man in the audience commented on how he always cries at the drop of a hat at films but he knows it must be powerful as his wife who never ever cries at films was crying buckets.

Away

[jonniekendall · 10/10 · 31 July 2016]

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 .

Great film, fantastic performances

[cathiebolton · 10/10 · 28 June 2016]

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.

Excellent drama of unlikely friendship by the sea "oop north"

[jsherwin-05944 · 9/10 · 12 July 2016]

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!

Gripping and excellent film

[tina-00883 · 10/10 · 8 July 2016]

I saw this at the Edinburgh Film Festival awards and I have to say was one of the best films I have seen for a long time. The story line and acting is fantastic, keeps you gripped all the way through till the end and is very unpredictable. Timothy Spall and Juno Temple work brilliantly together. Both very talented and gelled well as the two leading roles. There are some confusing bits to the film with the flash backs but it all makes perfect sense in the end and keeps you guessing. I think the music in this was superb and really has a big impact. Would love to buy the CD if one is released. Overall I highly recommend seeing this film, it's realistic, gripping and emotional.

Fab film with great script, performances and soundtrack!

[amandamundin · 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 ;)

A great British thriller.

[b-a-little1 · 9/10 · 16 July 2016]

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?

Watch this movie!!

[mikie_zamora · 9/10 · 7 September 2018]

Definitely worth your time if you come across it! Great indie drama/thriller

A gem

[susanstallard-49766 · 9/10 · 2 January 2021]

Loved this charming movie. Tiny bit slow, but worth it.

Stunning performance from spall and juno

[tonyshanahan · 9/10 · 8 September 2020]

Great movie a little of with the flashbacks but a great watch

This engrossingly downbeat melodrama proved to be a surprisingly edifying experience!

[Weirdling_Wolf · 9/10 · 16 August 2021]

Engrossingly downbeat melodrama about two disparate, down-on-their-luck characters who meet far from cutely in a dour bar in a no less moribund, off-season, brine-lashed Blackpool. While frequently grim, depressing, and emotionally raw, 'Away' never feels oppressively maudlin of self-consciously negative, since it is hard not to sympathize with the downwardly spiralling protagonist's desperate predicament, especially when they are given so much heart-wrenching humanity by gifted actors Juno Temple & Timothy Spall. This unflinchingly terse tableau of two profoundly damaged, doomily displaced souls cruelly ravaged by the arbitrary tempests of a hard-knock life ultimately proved to be a surprisingly edifying experience, and while the cinematically sweet conclusion my initially seem overly sentimental, it is, perhaps, wholly deserved. Fans of earnestly existential UK indie-dramas set within the darker interstices of everyday life should seek out talented film-maker David Blair's melancholy, darkly sardonic feature.