40/40
Rona: I can’t be happy sober
Tale
After living on the outskirts of London, Rona struggles to come to terms with her troubled past. Hoping to recover, she returns to the wild beauty of the Scottish Orkney Islands, where she grew up. Based on Amy Liptrot’s 2016 memoir of the same name.
One With the Wind, composed by John Gertler and Jan Miserre
2024 was a really special year for hidden gems when it comes to movies. I found another one for you called THE OUTRUN, a drama that follows a woman’s tumultuous journey through alcohol addiction and recovery. Rona (Saoirse Ronan) tries to distance herself from her life in the city of London and returns home to her parents in the Orkney Islands, an offshoot of Scotland.
It has a beautiful landscape with relentless winds
This film is the first to be shot in Orkney. The masterful editing and camera work must be mentioned. There are quick cuts when she’s more chaotic, and long, quiet cuts when she’s calmer.
It doesn’t succumb to melodrama when it easily could
Her hair color also indicates where she is in her journey, which helps the audience as the story is told in a non-linear fashion. I wouldn’t know, but it seems very true to what addiction is. The journey never gets easier, it just gets less difficult.
Saoirse Ronan was up for an Oscar this year
Fantastic movie. She has another film to talk about this year, BLITZ. Remember, a wave looks so cool the higher it gets, but it inevitably ends in a crash.
