The Outrun: Saoirse Ronan Shines in a Sobering but Structurally Shaky Journey

Amy Liptrot’s memoir, The Outrun, has been reimagined by Nora Fingscheidt as this provoking and realistic story about addiction and recovery which wins the best of Saoirse Ronan. But, it seems that the ambition of Fingscheidt’s work and Ronan sometimes make choices in the narrative that take away from emotional impact of an otherwise strong story.

Rona (Saoirse Ronan), a 29-year-old Scottish alcoholic woman who returns to her childhood home on Orkney Islands, trying to overcome her addiction. There is something special about Ronan’s role here; she does not assume an ordinary melodramatic or overacted approach often taken by other actresses featuring such roles. Gutsy, raw and restrained are three adjectives that sum up her performance in a nutshell since it embodies multiple emotions of a woman caught between two stools.

The Orkney Islands’ stark wind-blown landscapes serve as both literal and figurative backdrops for Rona’s journey through life. This isolation and grim beauty have been well captured by Fingscheidt directing using them as visual representation for Rona’s internal struggles while recovering. The shots are magnificent most times illustrating what Rona goes through in terms of addiction versus the wildness and beauty surrounding her.

There is however a problem with “The Outrun” in relation to its plot structure. In other words, jumping back and forth in time is not as helpful more often than disorienting when it comes to flashbacks’ function. However much this style intends to reflect on fragmented experience when addicted then healed again, it ends up being at odds with emotional tone desired from viewers watching the film today. Constant switches in time make Rona hard to follow therefore key moments highlighting her story are easily lost thereby leading to less engagement between her life events.

The aforementioned characters help flesh out Rona's background and show how complex her family dynamics are, with Saskia Reeves playing her mother who is deeply religious and Stephen Dillane cast as her dad who suffers from bipolar disorder. Yet, sometimes this trio looks weak due to the mishmash of the script itself.

The Outrun is remarkable because it does not fall into most clichés that other drug films do. Its heroines do not burst into dramatic speeches or have staggering revelations. Instead, it provides a quieter yet more realistic vision of addiction’s tormenting face. The film surprisingly has hardly any plot point thus making its 118-minute duration feel longer considering its exceedingly non-linear structure.

Despite the issues in structure, Ronan holds the film together through an outstanding performance as Rona. Unlike other actresses that would be bound by such a script, she brings vulnerability and complexity to this character overcoming its limitations. Her talent is best exemplified by how much she can say simply by looking at someone or through a subtle change in body language which makes Rona’s struggle so touching.

"The Outrun" is a study in contrasts: urban London versus rugged Orkney Islands; isolation versus connection; addiction versus sobriety. Even though some aspects fail to impress everyone, it still gives a rather thoughtful and often moving look at the process of recovering as well as how coming home can be powerful thing to happen to people again after many years away from one’s roots.

The film “The Outrun” is one whose mixture of feelings may both frustrate and enthrall. It also goes against itself structurally, often sabotaging the gripping central performance and its picturesque setting. The character Rona is however played by Ronan in a tour de force manner that redeems the movie; thereby making “The Outrun” into what could be wrong but rewarding addiction, recovery and quest for self in an unexpected place. Though not fully exploring opportunities presented, this film still deserves attention due to the remarkable acting skills of Saoirse Ronan who with each succeeding role proves to be one of the most talented actresses of her generation.