TORONTO – The difficult journey of the couple at the center of “The Salt Path” doesn’t seem like a true story at first. There is a lyrical flow to their revelations. So much so that each stop on their 630-mile hike seems crafted as an allegory to how perilous life can be. Assuming you were unaware of Raynor Winn‘s best-selling autobiographical novel of the same name, the end cards may be something of a surprise. And that’s a compliment to the film that heralded stage director Marianne Elliott has fashioned together in her feature debut.
A world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, the plot of “The Salt Path” is quite straightforward. Raynor Winn (Gillian Anderson) and Moth Winn (Jason Isaacs) are embarking on the South West Coast Path, the longest national trail in the United Kingdom that hugs the coastline from Minehead to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Over various flashbacks, we discover this isn’t meant as a relaxing vacation. Due to a legal dispute, the Winns have lost their farmhouse and are homeless. With their barely adult children seemingly O.K. on their own, the Winns grab their camping supplies and whatever money they have left to follow a path they had always wanted to try in happier times. Now, Raynor hopes to find a miracle of inspiration on how to move forward.
Over the days and weeks that follow, the Winns’ trek is complicated by Moth’s deteriorating health, and weather conditions that are often more dangerous than they expected. There is a moment of respite over the winter when an old friend, Polly (Hermione Norris), lets them stay in a shed on her property if Moth renovates it. The shed provides needed shelter, and Raynor makes some cash as a temporary sheep shearer (something Anderson takes on with gusto), but the arrangement only sheds light on how little they now have in common with their new landlord. With Moth’s future unclear, they decided to leave the safe confines of their new habitat and return to finish the hike.
Beautifully shot by noted cinematographer Hélène Louvart, this portion of England often acts like its own character in the story. Often it seems happy the Winns are there gifting them wonderous moments of beauty. And, sometimes, it rages against them, attempting to force them back to civilization. Then again, Britain’s national tourism agency certainly won’t be complaining about the stunning vistas and dramatic cliffs that would make an Apple TV screensaver blush.
As the Winns round the final corner of the path, Rebecca Lenkiewicz‘s screenplay is somewhat hindered by the difficulty of conveying this true story in a different medium. Lenkiewicz attempts a moment of self-realization for Raynor, in particular. A moment of optimism and the couple recognizing their unbreakable love for each other, but it’s almost too demure to pull the heartstrings. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a specific tone, a classic aesthetic that Elliott has committed to from the beginning. And yet, the heart of their story, the gut punch that must have moved readers on the page, isn’t on screen. Even the committed performances from Anderson and Isaacs can’t provide an emotional release. But it might make you want to read the book. [C]
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