The Outrun

 

        Saoirse Ronan stars in this highly moving drama about one woman's battle with addiction. The script is based on the memoir by Amy Liptrot, who also co-wrote the screenplay.

        Ms. Ronan plays Rona, an alcoholic living in London, who decides to return to her childhood home on the Orkney Islands (north of Scotland) to try to get sober. The story is told in a non-linear fashion and jumps around in time. It takes a minute to adjust to the time lines but soon becomes easy to follow,

        Rona's parents are separated and live on different parts of the island. She spends time with both but for most of the film, she lives in isolation in a small shack on a tiny part of the north island. She walks the beach, swims in the frigid water, listens to her favorite music and contemplates her life. She does interact with some of the local folk and takes a solitary job studying an elusive native bird. As usual, Ms. Ronan is wonderful in a heartbreaking and raw portrait of addiction.

       The cinematography is fabulous. Having actually been to the Orkney Islands, I can honestly say Yunus Roy Imer's camera captures the raw beauty of the land and the surrounding sea. It can be a very harsh landscape, especially in winter and Ms. Ronan braves the weather admirably. The very last scene in the film is so perfect.

       The film is in limited theatrical release and currently on demand.