THE SALT PATH Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Marianne Elliott
Stars: Gillian Anderson, Jason Isaacs, James Lance, Hermione Norris.
The Salt Path is another film in that growing subgenre depicting the therapeutic and redemptive power of a long walk. It joins a number of other films in which a character embarks on a grueling journey of self-discovery that include 2010’s The Way, in which a grieving Martin Sheen walked the El Camino de Santiago in Spain; Reese Witherspoon walking the Pacific Coast Highway in 2014’s Wild; Robert Redford (as travel writer Bill Bryson) and Nick Nolte walking the Appalachian Trail in 2018’s A Walk In The Woods; and more recently Australian filmmaker Bill Bennett dramatised his own experiences of walking the El Camino in 2024’s The Way, My Way.
The film tells the true story of British couple Raynor Wynn and her husband Moth, a couple in their 50s. They owned a farmhouse which they operated as a bed and breakfast place. But after a failed investment and a court case the pair lost everything. They found themselves homeless and placed on a long waiting list for council housing. To make matters worse Moth had been diagnosed with Corticobasal degeneration (CBD), a rare degenerative and terminal disease for which there was no cure, and given just a few months to live. Having hit rock bottom the couple decided to walk the 1030 km South Coast Path, from Minehead in Somerset to Land’s End, a walking trail known as the Salt Path hoping to find the time to work things out.
They were inspired by a pamphlet that Ray had found in their house. They carried with them backpacks, sleeping bags, packets of instant noodles for nourishment, and a tent. Ill-equipped for the grueling journey they faced several challenges along the way, not the least of which was Moth’s debilitating illness.
Along the way they met a number of strangers, some of whom treated them with kindness, even one woman who gave them a place to temporarily stay out of a feeling of charity, but there were a few who also berated them for camping out on the trail. And in an amusing scene, Moth is mistaken for the poet Simon Armitage who is on a book tour in the area.
Ray kept a diary during the walk, and she later turned her experiences into a book which was published in 2018. It became an instant bestseller, selling over one million copies and spending a year on the best seller list. The book has been faithfully adapted for the screen by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Disobedience, etc).
The Salt Path is a raw drama and a story of courage, resilience and determination. However, this is a familiar story with its familiar themes. But The Salt Path is elevated by the understated performances of its stars Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, who inhabit the characters and establish a palpable rapport and chemistry. For Anderson, best known for her role as Agent Scully in the tv series The X-Files, this is a rather unglamourous role, but she acquits herself well with the physical demands. Her role as ray allows her to stretch her dramatic range. Isaacs (The White Lotus, etc) is also good as he plays Moth as a man who is struggling with both his mortality as well as the physical demands the grueling walk takes on his debilitating illness. This is essentially a two hander and the performances of the two stars keeps us engrossed in their journey.
The film has been directed by Marianne Elliot, who hails from a background in theatre. She has won a couple of Tony Awards for her work on Broadway (including War Horse and The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time). She makes her feature film directorial debut here and direction here is unflashy but sympathetic. The film benefits from the stunning widescreen lensing of French cinematographer Helene Louvart (La Chimera, etc), who shot the film on various locations and she captures the harsh beauty of the rugged terrain and landscapes.
Despite the grim and downbeat nature of the material, The Salt Path is ultimately a life affirming tale about hope, the human spirit and overcoming adversity.
★★★
