There are very few directors who I think truly understand the medium in which they are working. Sometimes films feel like books that have just been put on screen or long TV show episodes – but Nora Fingscheidt knows she’s making a movie.
By way of booming noise and calming narration – mixed in, of course, with some animation – Fingscheidt managed to create not only a realistic depiction of struggling with addiction but also a ground-breaking cinematic piece – filled with unique decisions that just work.
This film is at its strongest when it uses its comparisons – equating the noise of London to the high of intoxication, and at the same time assigning the stillness of the Orkney Islands to the hush of sobriety. But then the film does something so interesting – it flips the comparison it had just set up;
We watch Ronna fall back into her addiction whilst in the islands, and later watch her reclaim her sobriety to a DnB soundtrack (the same one that had been present during her time in London). A unique decision, but one that only worked to show that when it comes to beating addiction, it’s rarely about where you are, but more about how strong you’re willing to be.
Beyond the cinematic direction, this film is filled with creative decisions that are so packed with meaning – my favourite of which is the significance of Ronna’s hair colour. Having its blue colour (representing her connection to the sea) slowly grow out and disappear, only to eventually be replaced by this bright orange (like a phoenix) is so meaningful and so in line with Ronna’s journey.
The film is told completely out of order, bouncing between the height of Ronna’s addiction and the stillness of her initial rehabilitation. Whilst where we are in the timeline of events can be sometimes confusing to grasp, it all becomes worth it when the reason for the non-linear narrative becomes clear. They’re benchmarks – points of comparison between Ronna’s two lives. Once you’ve seen how bad she’s had it, you become almost proud to see where she’s been.
It becomes even more impactful that the narrative becomes more linear after her relapse – signifying that all her progress, failings and all, had been completely reset.
From Saskia Reeves’ convincingly disappointed Anne to Paapa Essiedu’s heartbreaking Daynin, the acting across the board is stellar. The shining star of it all, of course, is Saoirsie Ronan, who plays the role of alcohol-addicted Ronna so well and with a clear understanding of the seriousness of the topic that it’s hard not to root for her.
Addiction isn’t an easy thing to kick, and Fingscheidt knows that. Coming in at about two hours, the film has Ronna fall then heal then fall again, and whilst showing the difficulty of rehabilitation is paramount, sometimes the film does feel a bit too long.
But that ending? Ronna orchestrates the ocean as we see this almost cacophonous recap of her journey. Finally – able to control the uncontrollable……And then This is the Day by The The started playing (top 10 song of all time)… Perfect ending. No notes.
