By M. Faust

“The Outrun” was adapted from Scottish writer Amy Liptrot’s memoir detailing her recovery from alcoholism by retreating to the remote Orkney islands, where she was raised. It stars Saoirse Ronan, one of the best young actress in contemporary cinema, as Rona so it’s no surprise that the film will be seen by most as a star vehicle. Ronan is seldom off-screen, and the film hits all the expected beats of the addition/recovery genre that audiences around the world will recognize. 

But Liprot’s book was more than Rona’s story: it was also a meditation on life in a region where few people live, dominated by the sea and a harsh climate. Writer-director Nora Fingscheidt struggles to retain both aspects, but visual quotes illustrating Liptrot’s musing on her space don’t give sufficient context to viewers. Those who haven’t read the book are likely only to see a familiar story made unnecessarily opaque by confusing jumps in time and disorienting camera work. Now playing at the Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, and Regal Walden Galleria theaters. 

M. Faust is a veteran film critic and a contributor to The Buffalo Hive.