Film No. 80. THE OUTRUN (Palace Aust. British Film Festival) (2024). 2nd Dec.

 

Film No. 80 (2024) December 2nd.  4:00 PM  LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 1,  Windsor, Nedlands.

"It never gets easier; it gets less harder!" (Rona's new friend. A man who's been where she is. His advice, hopefully, a comfort).

 NOMINEE: Best Feature Film (Noah Fingscheidt) British Independent FF.

Is Saoirse Ronan taking us on a journey here because it's exemplifying a cause she believes in or is this simply an opportunity to further extend her prestigious acting talents? Both, it would seem. She is the producer of OUTRUN.

Amy Liptrot wrote her memoir to further cleanse herself of her arduous journey of rehabilitation (alcoholism) in her late twenties. German director Noah Finscheidt (THE UNFORGIVABLE) combined with Ronan to retell Liptrot's agonising journey (detoxification) via a feast of cinematic naturalism. Using colour hair rinses, intercuts of London bar scenes and the odd number of days sober, subtitles; we know where we are in her timeline. But the true genius of the film is the rugged beauty of Orkney. The power of it's ocean, wind, fields, wildlife and salt air in bringing a broken lassie (Rona) to her senses.

I've not read Liptrot's memoir. She is said to be blown away with how close the film captures the realities of the "hole" she was in. Ronan is exquisite. Her performance had me fully buried in Rona's mess. It is testing!  10GUMS.