The Outrun, adapted from the memoir by the same name by Amy Liptrot, takes a cliche the story of addiction and recovery which is found in the memoirs, and manages to make it original and enthralling. In a new production that is presented more like a picture album than a straight film, the viewer is treated to a theme of the lifework of the leading character through time and space. In this way, moments of pleasure emerge from the clouds of despair that seem to dominate the story where a deeply decent man is portrayed as having plunged into the depths of alcoholism. The wild locations in which many events of the story are set, added to the powerful performance of Saoirse Ronan, make Outrun one of the best dramas of the year.
Rona’s story spans across three distinct time frames. Throughout the film’s ‘present day’ scenes, we observe the aftermath of the events leading to Rona (Saoirse Ronan)’s return to the Orkney Islands. This allows her to have a certain level of distance from her prior life, however, interacting with her parents who are devout Christian Annie (Saskia Reeves) and Andrew (Stephen Dillane) who has bipolar disorder, is not free of stress either. In this context, while moving forward recovering from her addiction, and using the “one day at a time” mantra of AA, the film flashbacks to new memories she was able to create while living in England with her boyfriend Daynin (Paapa Essiedu) and her difficult stay at a harsh rehabilitation center. There are also a few brief scenes that strike at her violent and traumatic childhood.
The Outrun does not hide away from Rona and her addiction and takes a rather compelling view of the distress she causes to the people around her. To the extent that it explains the personal repercussions that the character Rona suffers in the long run in terms of ramifications for her actions. The positive aspect is that she knows at least how to tidy up the mess and get her life together but the reality is that every day is a struggle to stay sober. As enticing as life on an island can get – Papa Westray – which she frequented to work for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is wild in its beauty with its 60-odd population.
It is true that at times, one does get the feeling confusion due to her constant shifting through timelines without clear demarcations but for the most part it is quite easy. A good example is, Rona standing on the verge of being a quit t which was at the end of her timeline or a middle one. What works in favor is every scene is quite easy to place in the past. First and foremost, the location is different. Secondly, Rona’s hair color changes, blonde, blue, coppery orange, you name it.
The brilliance of Outrun is not in the storyline, which is average as can be expected, but is rather a function of the performance of Ronan which I would consider the pinnacle of her career spanning years of diversity. She is, in a word, superb. Even were people to have put this together with far less skill than the director Nora Fingscheidt high level of competency still exhibited, this would still have been a must-watch film. The control that Ronan exerts over Rona is nothing short of magical to the point that her performance elicits no suspicion or disbelief on the audience’s part. Her life is emoting through her. Her ache is what we experience. Her downfall is what we survive. Together, we stand against the chilling lonesomeness of the Orkney Islands where her fleeting serenity is discovered. It is a combination of Ronan’s performance, the filming on site, and the succinct and penetrative dialogue that creates the feeling of “you are there”.
M(statement) stories from A Liptrot’s book are spoken out loud by Ronan and this footage is included in the movie. But She seems to not be any of those stereotypical “talking narrators” because her narrative has a purpose. She’s not talking for the sake of talking to numb the uninterested masses with plot summaries. Rather, she considers some of the grandest dilemmas, such as the principles of addiction and recovery. Her thoughts are at times evocative, poetic, and always unobtrusive. They form a harmonious relationship with the visuals – the lyrics of Rona’s song.
The Outrun couldn’t be bothered to pick up the emotional tone from the ground, so in what would have been pointlessly high drama stakes, thankfully, it ended up not absorbing the same woefully. To say the high-level synopsis (“a young woman, who is an alcoholic, goes back home to a farm on an island in Scotland”) encapsulates the essence of the film does not do it justice. Battling against the odds where such films struggle to even see the light of day, this one takes viewers on an inspiring but rather tension-filled ride. That doesn’t mean one has to run to the cinema because these characters and situations are not dependent on the miniaturized stakes that the theater setting would have enhanced. So, for me, any time this film pretty much becomes accessible, I am more than thankful to indulge in it.
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