Journeys can be perilous.
The journey from book to screen, for example, is fraught with danger. Hackneyed screenplays, studio meddling, and star egos can all blow a book’s spirit over a cliff edge.
So it must come as a great relief to her millions of readers that Raynor Winn’s memoir The Salt Path has received a graceful adaptation by screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz and director Marianne Elliott.
The true story follows Raynor (Gillian Anderson) and her husband Moth (Jason Isaacs), who, upon facing homelessness, decide to trek across the South West Coast of England. The narrative flits between past and present, intercutting the walk itself with the financial and medical devastations the couple has experienced. It’s an effective technique, allowing the audience to gradually uncover the tragic circumstances behind their expedition.
With themes of poverty and terminal illness, this is far from a frothy, feel-good lark. It does, however, carry a heartfelt belief in the power of hope—and the strength that love has to guide us through our darkest periods. It’s an achievement in itself that the film manages to be life-affirming without ever stooping to schmaltz.
This is in large part thanks to the perfectly cast duo of Anderson and Isaacs. These are subtle, unshowy performances. The pair wisely avoid the dramatic histrionics that awards shows tend to love; instead, one senses their suffering beneath a quiet dignity. The chemistry between them instantly conveys the comfort and understanding of a decades-long marriage.
Perhaps the film’s other key strength is Hélène Louvart’s stunning cinematography, which captures the rugged beauty of the English coast. If there’s any film that will have you itching to dig out your hiking boots, it’s this one.
The film does, however, suffer from a baggy running time, dragging its feet to nearly two hours. At times it feels meandering, with narrative threads picked up and dropped just as quickly. Ironically, despite its leisurely pace, the film ends rather abruptly, without the cathartic sense of closure one might hope for. A tighter, more disciplined screenplay would have delivered a stronger emotional punch.
Nevertheless, this is a handsome and moving adaptation of a much-loved book and a remarkable true story. The Salt Path is a journey well worth taking.
