Saoirse Ronan Gives A Stirring Performance In Beautiful, Poetic Drama
Jan 29, 2024
Summary
The Outrun is a wonderful feature debut with a clear vision. The film captures nature’s beauty and creates a balance between the protagonist and her surroundings. The pacing could have been improved, but the film offers a nuanced understanding of addiction and a powerful central performance.
For a first-time feature director to focus on a story that is inspired by true events is a bold choice, but Nora Fingscheidt is up to the task. With an exceptional performance by Saoirse Ronan and a stunning grasp on interiority and visual poetry, The Outrun is a wonderful feature debut that could have been elevated further by stronger form. Despite its occasional stumbling blocks, the director, who co-wrote the screenplay with Amy Liptrot, the author of the novel the film it’s based on, has a clear vision and a good instinct for storytelling.
The Outrun Includes Poetic Storytelling
The Outrun is a 2024 drama film based on the personal memoir of Amy Liptrot, directed by Nora Fingscheidt. A young woman named Rona returns to her home in Scotland to heal and face the demons of her past after a stint in rehab. ProsNora Fingscheidt has great storytelling instincts The film is poetic and moving as it follows Rona’s journey ConsThe film could’ve been edited down The Outrun occasionally gets trapped in Rona’s cycles
Through closeups, Nora Fingscheidt brings us into Rona’s inner world and thoughts. The nonlinear storytelling acts as though we ourselves are exploring Rona’s jumbled mind and memories, revealing what led her to return to live with her mother and work on her father’s farm. The Outrun oscillates between Rona’s time in London and Scotland’s Orkney Islands, in and out of Rona’s drunken moments, her time in rehab, and the deterioration of her relationship with boyfriend Daynin (Paapa Essiedu). It gives you a good sense of Rona’s life and struggles, though it requires some patience.
Often, the film feels like a painting. The cinematography captures the most gorgeous parts of nature — waves ferociously splashing against rocks, and seals sweetly calling back to Ronan as she swims near them. The film is astute in creating a balance between Ronan and the nature that surrounds her, as she finds her way back to herself through it. Whether it’s animals or the wind or the sea, Ronan doesn’t feel as lost when she is among them, and the film is gentle, almost poetic, in its exploration of her personal journey and its ties to listening to her surroundings.
Related Saoirse Ronan, Nora Fingscheidt & Amy Liptrot On The Outrun’s Complicated Heroine [Sundance] Saoirse Ronan, Nora Fingscheidt & Amy Liptrot discuss the healing power of nature in The Outrun and bringing Liptrot’s complicated memoir to life.
However, the film can be somewhat tedious at times, and its structure could have benefited with a stronger core. It isn’t until the final 15 or 20 minutes that the film finds its footing in the direction it’s trying to take Ronan, and if it had gotten there a bit sooner, it wouldn’t have felt like the story was more prolonged than it needed to be. At nearly two hours long, this becomes an issue as the film gets lost in a cycle of relentless misery. Despite this, Fingscheidt generally has a firm grasp of the ending and Ronan’s journey.
Saoirse Ronan’s Performance Is Powerful & Emotional
To that end, Saoirse Ronan gives another strong performance. The actress has incredible emotional range, and she can easily shift from a joyous moment to a solemn one. In her hands, Ronan feels fully formed, someone whose struggles require the utmost empathy. She is a force, able to convey the anger and hurt that she feels, and hurls at others in equal measure, as well as the quiet contemplation she experiences throughout. Essiedu is also a standout, though he gets far less for obvious reasons. And yet, in his brief time onscreen, he’s incredibly expressive, every glance weighted and meaningful.
The movie shifts effortlessly between one point in time and another, and it’s superb at digging into Ronan’s internal struggle and the emotions that come with them. A bit trimming could have done the pacing a lot of good, especially as it traps itself in Ronan’s continued and unresolved issues. But perhaps that is the point in the end, with Fingscheidt and Liptrot delivering a nuanced understanding of addiction and the hold it has on Ronan.
With a powerful central performance and an occasionally chaotic but nonetheless captivating and moving narrative — helped along by fantastic editing and cinematography — The Outrun is a detailed film strengthened by its connection to nature’s beauty and belonging to it.
The Outrun had its premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
The Outrun Release Date January 19, 2024 Director Nora Fingscheidt Cast Saoirse Ronan , Paapa Essiedu , Stephen Dillane , Saskia Reeves Runtime 118 Minutes Writers Nora Fingscheidt , Amy Liptrot Studio(s) Arcade Pictures , BBC Films , Brock Media , Protagonist Pictures Distributor(s) StudioCanal
Publisher: Source link
The Internet Has Officially Lost It Over Andrew Garfield's Slutty Glasses
That man knew exactly what he was doing with those glasses.View Entire Post › Disclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by filmibee.Publisher: Source link
Jan 9, 2025
Armie Hammer Lands First Movie Role Since Cannibalism Allegations
Armie Hammer Cameos As “Kannibal Ken” in Music Video 4 Years After Cannibalism ClaimsArmie Hammer is heading back to the big screen. More than one year after the Los Angeles Police Department ended their lengthy investigation into the Call Me…
Jan 9, 2025
20 Best Dressed Men At The 2025 Golden Globes
20 Best Dressed Men At The 2025 Golden Globes The televised portion of awards season is here! On Sunday night, the Golden Globes were held in Los Angeles, kicking off what looks to be a lively next several months of…
Jan 8, 2025
Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman’s Son Connor Shares 2025 Update in New Pic
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's Son Connor Cruise Golfs With Crocodile in New PostTom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's son is teeing up for a great year. Connor Cruise recently kicked off 2025 at the links, swinging by Lost City Golf…
Jan 8, 2025