If you enjoy quiet films with little flourish, set aside two hours for The Outrun (2024). I included the Wikipedia link below to eliminate the need for me to outline too many particulars and also help you to decide if you want to invest the time. However, the plot summary therein does have a spoiler so don't read it to its end.
I suspect the main reason this film landed with me as it did is because of how many people I've known who've done battle with alcohol and/or drugs. The struggles, rationalizing, destructive behavior, and backsliding of the main character in The Outrun - played by Saoirse Ronan - were painfully familiar to me. Have you ever known a single person who doesn't have a story of someone from their life - family member, friend, work colleague, neighbor, etc. - who has fought this fight? Everyone I've ever known has at least one story - sometimes their own - like this.
Another reason I'm comfortable recommending this sleeper without reservation is also connected to my life's experience with alcoholism and drug abuse. Numerous times, I've witnessed people close to me who have turned their lives around with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous and similar twelve-step programs. AA may not be for everyone. But any film that points people toward a solution that I've seen work many times is, to me, a film worth endorsing. Added bonuses: Exceptional acting, nearly flawless script, and unobtrusive direction. And a trip to a remote and enchanting corner of the world.
If you end up watching The Outrun, please remember to either return here with a comment or write me an e-mail to tell me your thoughts. I'd like to extend the glow of this movie for as long as I can.
Watched THE OUTRUN last night on your recommendation. It is a very slow story, but exceedingly well done. Saoirse Ronan is a terrific young actor, and may have the most beautiful eyes on the planet. As I was watching the movie I wondered if she had ever struggled with substance abuse herself. Seeing how she has been such a successful actor since her early teens, I'm guessing not, but one never knows. Good actors can take on roles that are nothing like themselves do an extraordinarily credible job. If that weren't the case, how could we ever find anyone to play serial killers? As a storyteller, I found it interesting that the voice-over lasted through the entire movie. That is very rare and difficult to pull off. What made the voice-over in this movie unique is that it wasn't used to reveal the character's reflections on the myriad screw ups caused by her drinking, but simply to record her thoughts about things like selkies, the effects of alcohol on the brain and the dynamics of wind and waves--little science-based factoids that gave us insight into how her biological training shaped how she saw the world. The line in the movie that really struck me is when Rona tells someone, "I can't be happy when I'm sober." So heartbreaking because, ultimately, she can't be anything but terribly self-destructive when she drinks.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous"; Thanks for the insightful and comprehensive comment. BTW, I'm reasonably sure much of that voiceover that you noted was so well done was likely lifted from the source material, a memoir (see the Wikipedia link). In this one respect, the tone of this movie reminded me of one of my favorite films, another where the director and screenwriter used a memoir in this fashion, i.e., The River Runs Through It - a Robert Redford film - from the eponymous memoir by Norman McClean.
DeleteI too watched it on your recommendation. Anonymous comments are spot on. I am glad I watched the film. I can't say I loved it but appreciate how well done it is. Interesting comparison with The River Runs Through It - one of my father's favorite films! Thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteInes; Thanks for the comment and remembering to return and give me your impression. Not the kind of movie anyone would "love" per se but in my opinion, one that might linger longer in the engaged mind than much of what is out there.
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