PARK CITY – How do you critique a movie about recovery? It’s not new territory. The storylines are often similar. The character arcs always feel familiar. And it’s increasingly hard to put a new spin on these stories. But somewhere, somehow, a film such as “The Outrun,” which had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on Friday, will speak to someone. This movie will mean something to them in a manner someone who is not an addict or has gone through a recovery journey can only imagine. And perhaps that’s the highest praise we can bestow on this adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s critically acclaimed memoir.
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Written by Liptrot and director Nora Fingscheidt, “The Outrun” finds Rona (Saoirse Ronan, also a producer) returning to the Orkney Islands to live with her mother after a decade of decadence in London. North of Scotland, the Islands have a population of just 22,500 or so people. It’s not a big city where you can easily get lost, but it’s quiet and tranquil. And, perhaps, that’s what Rona needs.
As the film progresses, we experience Rona’s strained relationship with her overly religious mother, Annie (Saskia Reeves), and father, Andrew (an almost unrecognizable Stephen Dillane), who lives on the coast raising sheep. Her parents have been divorced for years, mostly because Andrew is bipolar and goes through excruciating periods where his mood swings are dramatic and dangerous. As a child, Rona endured the worst of her father’s psychotic episodes. And, it has not escaped her that her own experiences with alcohol and drugs may be because of psychological issues that run in the family.
As she attempts to find work in Orkney, Rona flashes back to her life in London. The partying and late nights with her boyfriend Daynin (Paapa Essiedu). The blackouts. Hiding alcohol in her apartment. Losing Daynin, her friends, her job, and hitting rock bottom. There was the recovery center. And now, at home, attempting to assist her father on his farm and putting up with her mother’s passive-aggressive attempts to help her find god. Eventually, she relapses again, and this time, decides to get even further away from everyone by moving to an even smaller island for the winter, Papay. It’s almost a last-ditch effort to find herself again.
Obviously, “The Outrun” begins and ends with Ronan. There are very few moments in the movie where she isn’t on screen, and to say she’s up for the challenge is an understatement. It’s a very strong performance and, somewhat impressively, not as showy as you might expect given the material. Then again, that’s one of Ronan’s strong suits. She’ll never chew the scenery unless the role or character calls for it. But there are moments in the plethora of constant flashbacks where you just wish Fingscheidt let Ronan have one guttural moment. One truly dark and deep release. To demonstrate just how far Rona has fallen. But, no.
Fingscheidt, best known for 2019’s “System Crasher,” collaborates with cinematographer Yunus Roy Imer to capture the sparse beauty of the islands and contrast it beautifully with the urban magic that Rona experienced in London. The result is a very visually compelling film. It may repeat itself narratively and overstay its welcome just a bit, but you’ll never be bored by what appears before you on screen. Even if it’s telegraphing where Rona’s fate is all along (or maybe we’ve just seen too many movies and television programs on this subject).
During her stay on the larger Orkney island, Rona, as Liptrot did, works for a conservancy organization tracking the endangered Corncrake bird. Known for its unique sound, it’s also elusive in the wild, and Rona spends weeks trying to find one. And, as you’d suspect, when she finally does, it’s a signal to the audience that our heroine is finally at peace. It takes quite a while for that to happen, but for many, the film version of “The Outrun,” like the novel, will mean all sorts of everything. And maybe that’s a lifeline worth celebrating. [B-]
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