Occasionally a movie comes along that is so surprisingly good that you can't help but wonder why more of them can't be made. Faraway slots neatly into the category of ‘underrated gem' and I loved it.
There's an art to creating a movie, specifically a romantic comedy, that resonates with the audience. Top of the list is a set of characters that people can relate to. Second, is casting actors believable in those roles. Faraway succeeds in both.
Throw in a decent storyline, a beautiful setting and some real laugh-out-loud moments and hey presto, you have a film actually worth watching!
So what is the film all about? Let's take a closer look in our Faraway review.
What Is Faraway About?
Zeynep Altin (Naomi Krauss) is a German woman at the end of her tether. She's overworked and under-appreciated. She takes care of her father, is largely ignored by her husband, and has a teenage daughter who barely speaks to her.
To top it all off, her mother has just died. That's when she discovers that years earlier, her deceased mother had purchased a house in Croatia (where she was born), and now that house belongs to Zeynep.
When her mother's funeral nearly ends in total disaster, and she finds her husband flirting with a new employee, it's the last straw for Zeynep. So she promptly gets in her car, gears up the satnav, and heads to an island in Croatia to find her house.
Arriving exhausted in the middle of the night, Zaynep quickly discovers that the house has been lived in by Josip (Goran Bogdan) and isn't exactly Air B&B ready. So after a bumpy start, Zaynep comes to an agreement with Josip and gets to grips with the local town.
But when she starts to really enjoy her newfound life and the freedom and peace it brings her, will she be able to go back to Munich to her family? Find out when you watch Faraway.
Faraway Official Trailer
Is Faraway Worth Watching?
Without diminishing the quality of the film, I would say that there is a specific demographic that will absolutely love the Faraway movie.
If you've ever looked around and wondered how you ended up with your own life or have dreamed about escaping the humdrum of every day, then you will definitely appreciate this film.
That and it's really, really funny. There's a Spanx scene that will have you laughing out loud!
But the real gem in this movie is Naomi Krauss, who, while beautiful, still looks like a normal mature woman in her late 40s. Forget what Hollywood thinks a 49-year-old should look like, Krauss is flying the flag for the rest of us mere mortals, and we're here for it.
Throw in a potential love interest with the grumpy yet charming Josip, the stunning setting of a Croatian island, and a multi-lingual script (English, German, Croatian) that is sincere and heartwarming, and you get the delicious rom-com treat that is Faraway.
Where Was Faraway Filmed?
While the movie is classed as a German original and is directed by Vanessa Jopp, very little of it actually takes place there.
The opening part was filmed in Munich, and from there, it moves to the islands of Šolta, an island in Croatia’s central Dalmatian archipelago in the Adriatic Sea, and Brač, Dalmatia’s largest island off the coast of Croatia.
It's the perfect setting for a rom-com!
Cast of Faraway Movie
Written by Jane Ainscough and Alex Kendall, Faraway boasts a really sweet cast including…
Naomi Krauss as Zeynep Altin, a frustrated woman who heads to Croatia to find the house her mother left her when she died.
Goran Bogdan as Josip Cega the previous owner of the house who still lives there
Adnan Maral as Ilyas Altin, Zeynep's husband in Munich
Bahar Balci as Fia Altin, Zeynep's teenage daughter who is about to leave for college
Artjom Gilz as Conrad, the real estate agent helping Zeynep to sell her property
Davor Tomic as Drazen Cega, Josip's brother
