Movie Review: The Outrun

One chilly autumn afternoon, after much internal deliberation, I finally indulged in watching a movie that I had eagerly expected for the past month. I found myself seated in the tiny Room 4 of the Broadway cinema in Nottingham, surrounded by fellow moviegoers holding red wine glasses and various other beverages, cleverly stashed in the small gaps between the spacious chairs. Exceptional films from the UK never disappoint and this time was no different.

According to the author of the memoir, the movie tells a story of recovery. It takes viewers on a non-linear journey through the various states of mind and moods experienced on a deeply personal level. Whenever Rona undergoes hallucinatory cravings portrayed in film flashbacks, she becomes restless and briefly succumbs to drinking. However, she soon realises that her journey has only just begun and she must find the strength to overcome it.

Handheld camera vividly captures the chaotic life of the main heroine in London. It showcases her parties and drinking episodes, often concluding on the street pavement or with heated arguments with her boyfriend. Despite heartfelt promises to quit, she cannot break free from this destructive cycle. As a result, she eventually leaves behind everything she once cherished and returns to her birthplace - the Orkney Islands. Once Rona's life reaches a state of stability, the camera also finds a sense of tranquillity, finally at peace. Instead of constant running, the focus shifts to analysing patterns and cravings in order to discover a way to live without alcohol and reclaim freedom and happiness. The goal now is to establish a new pattern in her brain and embrace a fresh psychology.

As Rona discovers how to regain her excitement and happiness, she learns to feel things deeply in a new way, free from the influence of alcohol. Interestingly, she experiences similar sensations on the islands as she did in London. The techno beat from Rona's headphones contrasts with the cheerful chirping of birds and the crashing waves on the island's coast. By finding parallels between the city and nature, Amy, the author of the memoir, employed this technique to aid in her writing process. This approach enabled her to shift her focus from destruction towards genuine recovery.

Comparisons discovered in nature have a healing effect, contrasting with the hardships of her past life. It's as if she is creating a completely different world in order to achieve the much-needed balance, rooted in self-respect and respect for those around her. This path became her choice after enduring a series of perilous situations in the capital. Recognising that her father's bipolar disorder and her mother's religious devotion would not solve her problems, Rona bravely confronts them alone. This journey becomes a process of self-discovery and self-healing. Along the way, she encounters people who are just like her, struggling with alcoholism, and they provide her with support. The shopkeeper, who is the brother of the woman taking care of Rona on the island, has been sober for an impressive 12 years, 4 months, and 12 days. He offers words of wisdom, saying, “It will never get easier. It will only get less hard.”

As viewers, we have become accustomed to seeing Saoirse Ronan portray characters who have a strong connection to nature, as seen in films like “On Chesil Beach,” or “Brooklyn”. However, behind this image, there is also a city girl within her (Saoirse was actually born in New York, but her roots are Irish). Personally, I must admit that I prefer seeing this actress in natural surroundings rather than dancing to upbeat techno music. Since the movie is based on a memoir, fortunately, the filmmakers present the more destructive aspects of the story in a retrospection. This prevents them from overshadowing the entire movie. Instead, the focus is on the healing landscape of Orkney and Rona's job of finding rare birds, specifically corncrakes. Despite being lonely, she remains strong and confident about the rest of her journey.

Amy Liptrot, one of the screenplay writers as well, agreed to change the name of the main character intentionally in order to create some distance from her younger self. She acknowledges it felt strange to see part of her life on the screen, and the same goes for Saoirse, who portrayed a living character. Alongside director Nora Fingscheidt (and a crew of 30 people, which surpassed the island's population by half), they crafted “a story of the power of place and community, of confronting your past and the elements that made you, and the possibility of change. One of the themes of The Outrun is the link between mental illness and addiction and the desire to reach for extremes".

To enhance the dramatic storytelling, the filmmakers changed certain personal details, such as not including Amy's brother as a character in the film. Despite him playing a big part in Amy’s recovery, I believe this decision added depth to the narrative of the movie, emphasising the character's isolation and her struggle to connect with her family.

Outrun means to run faster, farther, or better than. To escape from by or as if by running. To go beyond; exceed. In the story, the main character breaks free from her addiction by returning to her roots, both physically and mentally. She seeks to understand the place she has always wanted to escape from, and when she finally succeeded, she didn't land on her feet. Therefore, she feels the need to go back in order to gain a deeper understanding. Because of her tendency towards addiction, she surrendered to a current that she couldn’t control. However, the combination of writing about nature and her own life story through a memoir opens up a fresh path for her. It leads her towards a sober life that is filled with more meaning and genuine connections. She becomes an example of triumph in the ongoing battle that is her life.

A must-see for anyone interested in exploring the external and internal forces that impact our lives and understanding just how destructive they can be. Obligatory for those in love with wild nature, much like the author of this article.

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Bibliography:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/sep/22/amy-liptrot-outrun-life-as-alcoholic-on-big-screen

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jan/17/amy-liptrot-outrun-i-swam-in-the-cold-ocean-orkney-alcoholism