Movies

Review: ‘The Outrun,’ Saoirse Ronan tale of alcoholism and rehab, feels more like montage than movie

BBG News

Review: 'The Outrun,' Saoirse Ronan tale of alcoholism and rehab, feels more like montage than movie

As a film enthusiast with a penchant for raw, emotional narratives, I found “The Outrun” to be a captivating yet frustrating exploration of one woman’s struggle with alcoholism and her quest for solace in her remote Scottish homeland. Saoirse Ronan delivers a powerful performance that holds its own against the breathtaking landscapes of the Orkney archipelago, but the film’s undisciplined approach to storytelling often leaves us adrift amidst a storm of moody visuals and disjointed timelines.

In “The Outrun,” a young Scottish woman’s struggle with alcoholism unfolds across a vast environmental and geographical landscape, pushing her to the very edge of the world, yet it is also where she spent her childhood. The character of Rona demands an actor who can embody a multitude of aspects, a role that only someone with a natural command over their presence should undertake. Fortunately for director Nora Fingscheidt, in her adaptation of co-screenwriter Amy Liptrot’s memoir, Saoirse Ronan possesses the skill to stand strong against the breathtaking, windswept isolation of the Orkney archipelago.

The issue lies in the fact that Ronan’s portrayal of destruction and recovery in another kind of tumultuous situation, uncontrolled filmmaking conflicting with the meticulous development of characters, creates an uneasy alliance. When the camera seems as disoriented as the self-destructive character it’s meant to depict, coupled with hasty time shifts and explanatory segments about science and mythology that distract from the main performance, it results in a partner that is unstable, regardless of its good intentions and occasional effectiveness. Fingscheidt’s approach to this material aims for poetic greatness, but it is more likely to wear us down rather than take flight.

Rona, who grew up on a sheep farm in the Northern Isles, is currently pursuing her studies in biology in bustling London. Her life, filled with late-night clubbing, often resembles a whirlwind until an unusually chaotic evening results in an assault. This event serves as a pivotal moment for us, as we follow both the past and present events. Having completed a rigorous 90-day program, Rona returns to her roots in the Orkneys to reinforce her newfound sobriety with familiar comforts: the crisp air, lambing season, seal spotting, volunteering at nature reserves, and long walks along the rugged coastline while wrapped in a blanket of techno music on her headphones.

However, living with her tranquil, spiritual mother (played by Saskia Reeves) as she assists her father, who is bipolar (Stephen Dillane), serves as a continual reminder that she hails from both grandeur and serenity, as well as dysfunction, illness, and divorce. Her recollections of partying often lead back to the regrettable truth that her excessive drinking was detrimental to her relationship with Daynin (Paapa Essiedu), a character who could have been more fully developed if not fragmented by brief, temporal snippets.

It’s challenging to grasp the true nature of Rona’s downfall, as everything related to Fingscheidt is about mood – music, sound, and editing ambiance. A German filmmaker who usually works on documentaries, Fingscheidt has recently shifted towards social dramas that focus on healing troubled individuals (such as “System Crasher” with the rebellious child and “The Unforgivable,” starring Sandra Bullock). Although she keeps us close to Rona’s experience, it’s a fleeting observation; we never stay in one place – before or after rehab – long enough to sense deep sorrow or the steady rhythm of genuine improvement.

Although Yunus Roy Imer’s stunning cinematography, whether portraying landscapes or faces, transforms life into a montage, and Ronan delivers a captivating performance with every moment brimming with intensity or the subtle melancholy of her Modigliani-like features, she seldom gets to explore the intricacies of each scene. The narrative focuses on healing, but we hardly delve deep into that process.

Although the story aims to convey the charm of the Orkneys, the ancient allure of the place is tangible. Solitude doesn’t necessarily equate to loneliness: For a troubled soul, the climate and landscape can serve as empathetic companions with deep, turbulent spirits. As Rona chooses to seclude herself even more on an isolated extreme-weather island called Papay, this movie that sometimes resembles a spiritual solo journey sibling to “Nomadland” progresses, reaching its final act with a stronger convergence of its restless aesthetic. However, the essence of “The Outrun” is more akin to aimless travelogue than the complex healing drama we anticipated.

Read More

2024-10-03 21:01

Previous post Grimdark Magazine 10th anniversary issue tops Amazon charts, Unavowed anthology funded in under an hour
Next post Jenny Eclair admits ‘motherhood is traumatising and she was massively shocked by it’ as she reveals she was always ‘needy for fame’ and remains ‘furious over sexism in comedy’