CHENNAI: Vanessa Jopp’s bilingual Netflix drama, “Faraway,” underlines the ways in which humanity is still living in a man's world. And she narrates it picturesquely. Shot aesthetically on a beautiful Croatian island where the sun dazzles magically and the sea is a shimmering blue, it makes up, however, for a rather ordinary story of an unhappy woman whose husband (Adnan Maral) owns a restaurant.
The man is busy in his own little world, and pays little attention to his wife, Zeynep (Naomi Krauss). Their daughter (Bahar Balci) is no different. “Faraway” talks about a classic situation where so many women find themselves unhappy, unappreciated and lonely. They slog away for their families but find that they are little cared for.
The breaking point comes when Zeynep's mother dies and her husband forgets to turn up for the funeral. This may seem a tad exaggerated, but this appears like the only way the plot can move into the second part of the drama, which is far more realistic.
She runs away to her mother's birthplace, a lovely Croatian island, where something unexpected is all set to arrive. She walks into her mother's home and finds that it is occupied by a strange man, Josip (Goran Bogdan). And Zeynep's plan to turn the house into an Airbnb appears to be failing.
There is instant chemistry between the two, but Jopp and writer Jane Ainscough place this on a slow-burner. The relationship swings wildly between love and hate and the rom-com burns brightest in this segment.
It is not very difficult to see what will follow, and how the story will end. Unfortunately, “Faraway” is highly predictable, but the visual brilliance overshadows the latent flaws.
Krauss is compelling to watch with a performance curve that is marvellous: she turns from an unhappy woman to one who finds joy and happiness in faraway Croatia. For those who are a romantic at heart, Jopp's work may be even exhilarating. Yes, the visuals are stunning and add to the feel-good factor. A great work for an evening when you are not in a very critical mood and are willing to go with the flow of “Faraway.”
