A film I had never planned to see, but due to exigent circumstances, Paul Downs Colaizzo‘s Brittany Runs a Marathon landed on the slate. In retrospect, it was the perfect film to cap the night, as it is an inspirational underdog story that surprises in its avoidance of cliches, its lack of compromise in diving in the demons that plague the lead character via self-doubt and a fantastic performance by Jillian Bell.
I hadn’t liked much of Bell’s work in the past (which is probably due to the scripts, rather than her performances) but here, she does a wonderful job in playing such a flawed individual who has made herself so impenetrable that her friends and loved ones cannot get through to her. Her comedic chops are still sharp as even, but the self-deprecation also come across as a cry for help, which adds to the drama.
Although the pacing could be tightened up and some of the humour does conflict with the drama, Brittany Runs a Marathon is a genuine crowd-pleaser of the highest order.
Don’t walk, run to see this film!
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