“The Outrun” review: Saoirse Ronan leads a tender and poetic addiction drama

Have you ever felt so alienated from your world that only the folklore of wild things could soothe you? At the opening of The outruna young woman named Rona (played by four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan) tells the legend of the Selkie. In a dreamy voice-over, she explains how these mythological shape-shifters of the sea can come ashore at night, shed their seal skins and dance on sand and rocks in the guise of humans. However, if they were seen by humans, they would be trapped and live on the ground dissatisfied for the rest of their lives. Rona, an alcoholic struggling with sobriety, can relate, having experienced many scandalous excesses and bitter disappointments.

Based on British journalist Amy Liptrot’s 2016 memoir of the same name: The outrun follows a deeply personal story of self-love, loss and addiction that incorporates elements of science, folklore and animation to profound effect. Determined to get sober, Rona returns to her hometown, the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland, to reconnect with her parents and herself.

Director Nora Fingscheidt, who co-wrote the adapted screenplay with Liptrot, plays with Rona’s timeline and jumps with abandon and composure into dark days past, bright days in the present, and all the shades of gray in between. (What comes out of this is far better than another breakout drama from the UK, We live in timestarring Ronan’s sister Little womenFlorence Pugh!) Taken together, these elements create a familiar story of a rocky road with a distinctive character that makes the story impossible to ignore.

Saorsie Ronan is fearless The outrun.

Rona has many sides to her and Ronan captures them all with commitment and empathy. The film follows this twenty-something girl through a blossoming romance with a dashing boyfriend named Daynin (Paapa Essiedu), warlike nights of chaos and violence, joyful time with her kind father (Stephen Dillane), and heated verbal arguments with her concerned mother (Saskia Reeves). and cozy moments in which we stand up for animal rights. (This last part includes performances by amateur actors giving The outrun a clear authenticity.)

Not only does Ronan face the tricky challenge of playing realistically drunk, but he also has to switch from warm charm to ruthless anger and connect all of these disparate parts to make Rona a whole. In a masterfully measured performance, her physicality changes from fleeting and relaxed to relaxed and stealthy. She always gives a hint through her body language as to where her character is on this journey as the scenes jump back and forth in time.

The aforementioned voiceover helps the viewer tie all of these pieces together, with Ronan’s voice calmly immersing us in Rona’s various intellectual curiosities. Ronan ponders aloud about nature and myth, subtly trying to figure out where her wilder side fits into polite society. Fingscheidt welcomes us into Rona’s perspective by illustrating her intellectual leanings; For example, unveiling beautiful shots of seals swimming on a beach. The handheld camera paints an intentionally shaky portrait of the world, reflecting Rona’s struggle to come to grips with herself. Elsewhere, the director allows the music blaring from Rona’s headphones to drown out the film’s audio, welcoming us into the bliss of the all-consuming beat. But the most effective tool that Fingscheidt uses is the time jump.

The outrunThe jumps in time plunge you into the hardships of recovery.

Photo credit: StudioCanal

Where in We live in timeFlashbacks and flashbacks made for a story too delicate to capture. Here it is possible to follow just one protagonist who often gets lost in her own world. A simple visual cue is Fingscheidt’s nod to then and now through Rona’s hair. One phase is defined by a pink bob, another by hair dyed completely blue, another by light blonde locks with blue tips or completely blonde or by the pink-orange of a sunrise. These are elegant indicators for then and now. But the flow of the story is more about Rona’s experience.

Progress, as any good therapist will tell you, is never a straight line. The outrunThe non-linear approach reflects this by throwing us back and forth in Rona’s recovery. This can make their story difficult to understand at first. Why is she angry with her mother but close to her father? But the mindful script ultimately reveals everything we need to understand their relationships. Even more telling, this deliberate back and forth reflects Rona’s journey, one step forward, two steps back, and so on. A good day could be followed by a dark temptation that brings us back to the memory of a low point. And this expresses the unpredictability of addiction. As Rona says, “The urge to drink can come out of nowhere. You think you’re fine. Suddenly you want nothing more than a drink.” The sophisticated pace of The outrun urges the audience to empathize by transporting us into her dizzying whirlwind of emotions, doubts, longings, hopes and regrets.

Stephen Dillane and Saoirse Ronan star in The Outrun.
Photo credit: StudioCanal

Surrounded by a solid supporting cast, Ronan expertly takes on a chaotic story of drug abuse and survival. Liptrot and Fingscheidt’s script builds a story that is unconventional yet comprehensive. Stephan Bechinger’s editing cleverly keeps the audience off balance, but not unnerved. Fingscheidt’s vision of weaving Rona’s perspective into cinematography, sound design, narrative and visual aspects, including animation, makes for a film that feels painfully personal yet universal in its humanity. Simply put, The outrun is an emotionally intelligent drama that soars thanks to the glorious collaboration between the writers, filmmaker and the film’s radiant leading lady.

The outrun hits theaters on October 4th.