A movie that can’t decide whether it’s aimed at adults or kids, Come Away links the fantasies of Peter Pan and Alice In Wonderland with the story of one family dealing with grief to create an odd drama that will no doubt puzzle young and old alike.
Siblings Alice, Peter and David play imaginary games in their idyllic country garden, conjuring up make believe pirates, sword fights and tea parties while their father Jack (Oyelowo) and mother Rose (Jolie) struggle to make ends meet. When tragedy strikes and David dies, his brother and sister travel to London to try and sell a family heirloom to a sinister character to help out their parents.
Occasionally dipping into quirky fantasy with references to classic stories that may briefly entertain children, this mainly focuses on the aftermath of the tragedy as dad gambles and mum hits the sherry. Michael Caine, Derek Jacobi, Clarke Peters, Anna Chancellor and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are among the impressive talents who pop up briefly to spread some joy, but they – and Jolie and Oyelowo – can’t quite lift this slow but beautiful-looking adventure from being much more than a curious diversion.
Is Come Away suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...
The movie deals with the death of a boy, so may upset younger viewers (he is seen falling into the water, but the scene is not graphic)
There are scenes of the children fighting – in their imagination, they are using swords and bows and arrows but in real life they are holding sticks and branches.
One of the characters is branded, but the injury is seen only briefly.
The children are in danger on occasion, but there is no real threat shown.
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