Faraway, the story of a young woman searching for a mysterious people, was actually a pretty great film.
When I first started watching it, I was put off by the choppy sound and sometimes odd close-ups that were far grainier than the usually stunning quality of most of the cinematography. But the story kept me going and moved with a relatively fast pace, which ensured that I stuck around for a bit. I was very quickly endeared to the main characters and I wanted to know the resolution to their story,
Once the characters were out amongst the Philippine countryside, my eyes were blown away. They really took advantage of this amazing location and the film gets at least two stars for so beautifully capturing the beautiful landscapes and local villages. I really loved the beauty of it all.
The music score went along perfectly with this film. It added a great dimension of suspense, intrigue, mystery, light hearted fun and adventure to the film. There were times that the music flowed so naturally and beautifully that I was swept away with the film.
The acting was pretty decent, although it was a bit obvious who the actors were and who weren't. While some scenes were choppy, I really liked some of the scenes between Nick and Audrey. They were very human and truthful, but also had some great humor at the same time. As someone who has lived abroad for a while, I loved their conversation about missing 'American' food. :)
I liked the overall plot, although I felt that it stretched on a bit in the middle and could have been cut down, although I wouldn't want to lose some of those countryside scenes. Still, it moved quickly and there was enough action to keep me interested. I liked the tie in with the local legends and how the film also incorporated philosophical questions about fate and what to do with your life.
The film was deep and certainly was not a waste of time or energy. I highly recommend that people watch it if they are looking for something fun, but slightly existential, and are looking to learn more about the Philippines. I definitely want to go there on a vacation, just so I can see that gorgeous scenery for myself. :)
