With 2019 already boasting films such as Toy Story 4 and The Lego Movie 2, it’s safe to say that it’s been a decent year for animations – and Away provides another fine addition to the collection. This unique and original animated adventure combines a refreshingly minimalist approach to storytelling with ambitiously stylistic visuals, but its presumably restricted budget prevents it from reaching its full potential.
Unsurprisingly, with any animated movie, the quality of the animation is a key ingredient for success – see the ingenious design work of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse for a clear example. While the visuals in Away, on rare occasions, feel a bit like something from a mobile game, the inventively stylistic approach of lone filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis is undoubtedly admirable.
The budget constraints are clear to see, but the colour palettes, distinctive aesthetic and audacious world-building are worthy of praise. There are a number of scenes throughout the film that feel like a genuine work of art. The use of bright, vibrant colours in the film’s more hopeful moments produces impressive visuals that would not look out of place in a big-budget anime. This is effectively contrasted by the dark, gloomy, almost lifeless designs developed for the movie’s more eerie periods, providing a visual paradox that creatively complements the narrative developments on screen.
The film’s ability to effectively demonstrate the thoughts and feelings of the characters is commendable, especially considering the absence of dialogue throughout the story. The visual work of Zilbalodis is not only aesthetically satisfying, but his proficiency in creating a strong emotional connection with the leads is also superb, ensuring the audience stays invested in the journey of the hero and his unlikely – but adorable – chirpy companion.
The relationship between the main character and his little bird (that’s not an innuendo) keeps the story interesting enough, with the paternal dynamic of the boy and his miniature sidekick proving delightful. Despite a complete absence of verbal communication between the two, their bond is genuinely sweet, leading to a connection that provides the film with real emotional weight – feeling reminiscent of the types of ‘man’s best friend’ storylines seen in films such as I Am Legend.
The movie supplies a number of unique scenarios for these characters to deal with, including what can only be described as a satanic cat ritual – which is weirdly a highlight. The central theme of death may not seem a likely source of enjoyment, but Zilbalodis does a solid job of producing enough entertaining action points to keep the audience intrigued throughout, whilst underpinning the story with a sense of deep introspection and reflection.
However, the story’s slower moments do indeed feel slow, making the film seem significantly longer than it is. Due to the absence of dialogue, the film sometimes runs out of ideas, its simplistic narrative perhaps a bit too basic to ensure exciting action for its full duration. As a result, the movie at times feels like something of a virtual world simulation, taking the audience on a tour of the creative universe Zilbalodis has created without any real purpose or meaning.
Nonetheless, this independent animated adventure is certainly worthy of praise – especially considering its unbelievably limited crew (Zilbalodis is the sole filmmaker involved in the project). With unique and stylistic visuals, ingenious world-building and an interesting enough storyline, Away adds to the impressive list of 2019’s most enjoyable animations. Even with a tight budget and tiny workforce, this ambitious indie can certainly hold its own against its big-budget rivals.
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