My Review Of “Faraway” 2012

“Faraway” is an adventure film from director Randal Kamradt that follows a young girl’s journey through the Philippine countryside to find the truth behind the Diwata legend, a group of mythical nymphs that govern the lives of man by writing fated stories of man’s lives. “Faraway” stars  Dana Jamison, Nick Medina, Genelyka Castin, Leonard Olaer, Vivencio E. Mataganas, Gabriel Enriquez, Maria Olsen, Rachel Appelbaum and Guillermo Jorge.

In the film both the myth of the Diwata and the journey of the characters are mirrored and feel much like a Shakespearian play. blending fairytale with real world misadventure. “Faraway” creates a mid-grade drama with some dark edgier moments mixed with lighter, comedic moments. Often the story seems to force the the Diwata aspects into the groups story in a way that doesn’t flow naturally but for the most part “Faraway” offers an entertaining and heartfelt tale of self discovery and adventure.

The acting is about 50/50 with no character seeming to shine perfectly on screen and the discrepancy is very random. Some characters seem a bit more committed to their part while others come off more over-rehearsed. It doesn’t make the film hard to watch since no one actor fails completely and all offer convincing enough characters. The dialog and dramatic interaction at times feels contrived but for Indie cinema, especially as a blended nationality-foreign film set-up, this doesn’t really make much difference as to make the story difficult to enjoy. Overall the performances and atmosphere is acceptable and there are some moments that really shine.

The soundtrack and effects are more dramatically developed with mild, light action accompanied by standard instrumental sounds. The music flows well with the acting and story which draws you into the character driven drama as well as the more intense active moments. Some of the stunts and action do seem a bit exercised cautiously with little flare much like a family adventure film on a low budget scale. This doesn’t hurt nor help the entertainment value, I only mention it so that no one planning to watch “Faraway” expects big budget dramatics and feels let down. The film gives a nice, light-hearted, fun experience that is somewhat family friendly in a PG-13(?) sort of way. Plus the scenery, due to the exotic locations is a visual bonus to the film.