As a long-time film enthusiast with a soft spot for character-driven dramas, I found “The Outrun” to be a captivating and poignant exploration of addiction, identity, and the human spirit’s resilience. The narrative, inspired by Amy Liptrot’s memoir, is a raw and honest portrayal of one woman’s struggle with alcoholism set against the backdrop of Scotland’s rugged landscapes.
In “The Outrun,” Saoirse Ronan’s character, Rona, leads a life that is splintered into distinct parts. It isn’t just the distinction between her life before and after overcoming alcoholism; it’s the ongoing struggle to balance contrasting aspects of her existence. Her parents, Annie and Andrew, divorced when she was young, which not only severed her life in two but also required her to frequently shuttle between her home in the Orkney Islands and her mother’s residence in London. Additionally, Rona is often called upon to switch roles between being a daughter to her father, who battles with bipolar disorder, and assisting him in managing his mental health issues.
In addition, addiction splits Rona’s life into two distinct paths. Rona has an intense love for ecological conservation and cherishes the natural world profoundly. On the other hand, she battles a condition that forces her to harm her body. Her memories with friends are scattered across various settings. At times, these recollections bring her joy; at others, they’re tainted by her alcohol addiction spoiling their outings. Given this complexity, director Nora Fingscheidt (co-writer of the script with Amy Liptrot, based on The Outrun) chooses to tell Rona’s story in a non-linear manner. Her life is fragmented, much like the narrative should be in the film adaptation.
It’s a fitting choice to cast Saoirse Ronan as the troubled main character in “The Outrun”. Throughout her career, Ronan has been known for portraying young characters, having made a significant impact playing the 13-year-old Briony Tallis in “Atonement”, and later showcasing unique talents with every youthful/teenage role she took on, such as Lady Bird, Jo March in “Little Women”, Ellis in “Brooklyn”, or even her comedic character in “See How They Run” opposite Sam Rockwell’s older detective.
With The Outrun, Ronan inhabits a character (the struggling alcoholic) that’s common in cinema. That ubiquity, though, has cemented in people’s minds a distinct image of what a “movie alcoholic” looks like. They’re raggedy souls typically 40 or older. Think Bradley Cooper in A Star is Born, Robert Shaw in Jaws, or Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas. Addiction can manifest in anyone at any age in the real world. In movies, though, there’s a specific physical archetype for such characters. If your feature has a woman with a flask in her pocket, chances are Sydney Sweeney or Anya Taylor-Joy aren’t being eyeballed for the part.
The choice to cast Ronan as Rona is daring, not just due to their similar names. This casting challenges traditional portrayals of alcoholics in films by presenting a more authentic representation. Unlike many movies, Rona seems like a genuine depiction of an alcoholic, broadening the stereotype. Additionally, Ronan delivers a powerful performance that brings Rona to life in a unique yet consistent manner throughout the film’s various time periods.
Throughout each phase of her character’s life, Saoirse Ronan skillfully portrays aspects of Rona that are reminiscent yet evolving, such as her physicality and alcohol dependence. What stands out most is how authentically Ronan conveys Rona’s outbursts of anger or frustration due to addiction, making these scenes feel strikingly real. In contrast, other actors like Steve Carell may unintentionally veer into comedy with their grand emotional performances. Instead, Ronan delivers a convincing intensity in scenes where Rona berates her mother for her religious devotion while drunk. In such moments, the character of Rona seems genuinely and unsettlingly unpredictable. There’s no need for me to convince you that Saoirse Ronan is one of our finest contemporary actors; a single viewing of her performance in Lady Bird should suffice as proof. However, if you desire a powerful reminder of her talent, The Outrun offers just that.
Apart from Ronan’s remarkable portrayal, “The Outrun” doesn’t significantly expand the collection of cinematic works on addiction dramas. The film is hindered somewhat by a screenplay that isn’t entirely consistent in its approach. Fingscheidt and Liptrot intelligently borrow from previous addiction narratives like “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot,” structuring this story non-linearly to mirror the fragmented lives of those battling addiction. Occasionally, however, we encounter snippets of voice-over narration from Ronan, which clarify aspects such as Scottish folklore or scientific terminology related to her condition.
The interruptions (which include archival footage, animation, and other scenes) within this story are too neat for their own sake. The presence of Rona as a narrator flips the disorderly feel that comes from the non-chronological storyline. These aspects of screenwriting seem to conflict in a way that weakens the impact of the movie “The Outrun” instead of strengthening it. Regarding the non-linear structure, it’s unfortunate that Stephan Bechinger’s editing doesn’t do more to delicately connect Rona’s different time periods. A powerful scene shows Rona collapsing on a rural seashore while carrying timber during daytime, and then falling onto the concrete streets of London at night—a place where one of Rona’s most painful experiences occurred. Bechinger’s editing effectively illustrates how reminders of the past continue to resonate in Rona’s life.
As a fan, I must admit that the intense editing in this movie serves to highlight the somewhat formulaic structure of “The Outrun” as it jumps between different stages in Rona’s life. However, director Fingstheidt occasionally pays homage to her brilliant 2020 film “System Crasher” by incorporating dynamic, chaotic camera work. This is particularly evident in a scene where Rona, isolated in a room overlooking the sea, appears to navigate turbulent waters. In this sequence, Fingstheidt and cinematographer Yunus Roy Imer mimic the unpredictable movement of a boat on rough seas by jerkily moving the camera back and forth, effectively immersing the audience into Rona’s emotional state. It’s a clever touch that instantly transports us into her mind.
Similar to Bechinger’s editing, Fingscheidt’s direction in The Outrun accentuates the production’s basic aesthetic, yet unfortunately lacks the unpredictability of Ronan’s performance. Rona’s life is portrayed in a rigid, traditional manner that leans heavily on tight framing. Despite the mystery surrounding where Ronan’s acting may lead, Fingscheidt’s filmmaking follows a more conventional path. This movie seems to be wrestling internally between its exceptional lead performance and its adherence to formulaic visual elements. It’s disheartening, yet in a way, it mirrors the complex nature of Rona herself.
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2024-10-02 17:16