Saoirse Ronan is known for her acting. She is the kind of actress who can take a bad film and elevate it (looking at you the enemy). The Irish native doesn’t have to with his latest project and Sundance standout, The Outrun. German director Nora Fingscheid’s second English-language feature was based on Amy Liptrot’s book of the same name and co-written by the two. Part addiction biopic and part nature narrative, the team-up between these three women takes something that might seem boring or emotionally draining and turns it into a moving tale of survival.
With ambitious editing by Stefan Bachinger, The Outrun Rona (Ronan) Jump before and after Rock Bottom. Between her time in London where her drinking spiraled out of control and her life as a conservationist in the Scottish Orkney Islands, Rona’s life is mixed between the before and after of childhood trauma at the hands of her father (Stephen Dillane).
As she returns to calm her life, she struggles with her mother’s (Saskia Reeves) relationship with God and her father’s mental illness. Her time in London pursuing a Masters in Biology is marked by her seemingly healthy relationship with Danin (Papa Esidu) which crumbles as his addiction to drink increases. Sometimes the editing is a bit confusing, as it takes a minute to establish whether we are in the present or the past. I keep telling colleagues that I think a better starting point for the story would have been when he goes to a remote island for work after relapsing with everything else in the flashbacks.
In general, I believe voiceover is rarely called for. However, Ronan’s narration, and the writing provided by Liptrot and Fingshed, gives Ronan a grounding connection to the nature around him. By this device the Orkney Islands become another character in the story. It is ironically silent to the reality of Ronnie dealing with his alcohol addiction
is at the heart of Ronan The Outrun. He disappears into the role. Over the past few years, she has proven her range in grounded work viz Ammonite And At Chesil Beach And zanier projects like See how they go And French Dispatch. As Rona, she has never been more raw and vulnerable. From the anguish in her eyes to her drunken scowl, Ronan packs her performance with purpose and emotion. While the script and Fingscheudt’s direction pack a punch, it’s Ronan you can’t look away from.
