The Boston Globe - 30.08.2019

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2019 The Boston Globe G7

holics” and for stealing a good
portion of “22 Jump Street”
from Jonah Hill and Channing
Tatum. Bell’s character here is
bestpositionedasatoned-
down indie-movie version of an
Amy Schumer heroine: a gener-
ous body coupled with ungen-
erous self-esteem that has dead-
ended her life in lousy choices
and lousier men. It doesn’t help
that Brittany’s nearing 30 and

u‘‘BRITTANY’’
Continued from Page G1

her roommate, Gretchen (Alice

Lee, doing what she can with a

shallow role), is a rail-thin so-

cial media “influencer” whose

Instagram feed would make

Gwyneth Paltrow turn green.

A visit to a doctor to score

Adderal results instead in an ul-

timatum: Live whatever life you

want, but if you want to live it

longer, get some damn exercise.

A NYC gym membership prov-

ing too much for her budget,

Brittany sets a very tentative

foot on the sidewalk outside her

apartment door. “Just one

block,” she mutters. Cue the

“Vertigo” camera effects.

“Brittany Runs a Marathon”

mostly sidesteps the easy jokes

in favor of human-based char-

acter comedy. If the fat-suit and

extra layers of latex don’t quite

convince in the early scenes,

Bell’s caustic wit and the pilot

flame of hope in Brittany’s eyes

keep a viewer invested. Gradu-

ally the movie introduces com-

patriots: Catherine (Michaela

Watkins, excellent), a neighbor

and experienced runner whose

Mrs. Perfect exterior hides a

messed-up past and present;

Seth (Micah Stock), just as hap-

less at jogging as Brittany but

urged on by his husband and

sons; Brittany’s sister (Kate Ar-

rington) and brother-in-law (Lil

Rel Howery), cheering her on

from Philadelphia. (Yes, there’s

a shot of the Rocky Balboa stat-

ue.)

With the appearance of Jern

(Utkarsh Ambudkar), a pro-

foundly sarcastic slacker who

crashes Brittany’s dog-sitting

gig at a Fifth Avenue town-

house, the movie delivers a foil

who slowly turns into a believ-

able and welcome romantic in-

terest. Like its heroine, “Britta-

ny Runs a Marathon” works its

way up from the easy comic 2Ks

to a more nuanced drama of

self-confidence that’s able to go

the distance.

There are detours along the

way. Colaizzo hews to the

screenwriting dictum that a

third act must introduce set-

backs and disappointments to

be reckoned with in time for the

finale, but those setbacks feel

forced on Brittany rather than

organic to her story (plus they

make the movie feel overlong).

On the other hand, the heroine

needs to sweat out her psycho-

logical toxins along with every-

thing else, and the last half

hour gives a lovely monologue

to a minor character, played by

Sarah Bolt, who provides coun-

terpoint to Brittany’s war with

her self-image.

That such a war is winnable

may be the most cheering as-

pect of “Brittany Runs a Mara-

thon,” anchored as the movie is

by Bell’s down-to-earth millen-

nial distrust of anything and ev-

erything meant to be Good For

You. Plus, it’s New York —

things aren’t supposed to work

out, or work at all. Until you

give a little push, and they do.

Anyway, it’s just one block.

Ty Burr can be reached at

[email protected].

Previouslyreleased

YYTheArtofRacinginthe
RainA sentimental tale of fami-
ly travail and uplift told
through the eyes of Enzo, a
golden retriever given interior
voice by a gruff, wise Kevin
Costner. It’s the kind of greet-
ing-card experience that can
still reduce you to shameless
blubbering. The humans are
played by Milo Ventimiglia
(“This Is Us”) and Amanda Sey-
fried. Good boy. So-so movie.
(122 min., PG) (Ty Burr)
YYYBlindedbytheLightA
Pakistani teenager (Viveik Kal-
ra) in 1980s England finds his
voice and his courage in the
music of Bruce Springsteen.
Sentimental, predictable — and
a thoroughgoing joy, with just
enough rage coursing beneath
the musical ecstasy and com-
ing-of-age tropes to give it bite.
Directed by Gurinder Chadha
(“Bend It Like Beckham”).
(117 min., PG-13) (Ty Burr)
YYY½TheFarewellA warm
embrace of a human comedy
from the Chinese-American
filmmaker Lulu Wang, about a
young New Yorker (the comic
actress Awkwafina, in her first
serious role) who returns to
China for a family gathering
that involves weddings and chi-
canery. It’s witty, heartfelt, and
wise. In English and Mandarin,
with subtitles. (98 min., PG)
(Ty Burr)
YYYFast&FuriousPresents:
Hobbs&ShawDwayne John-
son and Jason Statham from
the “Fast and Furious” fran-
chise get their own movie, and
it’s excellent summer meathead
entertainment — a brainless
bone-cruncher with clever play-
ers, a decent script, and enough
mayhem to satisfy the yahoo
lurking within the most civi-
lized moviegoers. With Idris El-
ba and the movie’s secret weap-
on, Vanessa Kirby. (135 min.,
PG-13) (Ty Burr)
YYYGoodBoysThis addition
to the “adolescent party odys-
sey” line — think “Superbad”
(2007) and “Booksmart” (2019)
— follows a trio of clueless
sixth-grade boys to their first
“kissing party.” With a sharp
screenplay and nuanced char-
acters, it offers a refreshing,
charming study of masculinity
and friendship. (89 min., R)
(Marella Gayla)
YYY½LuceKelvin Harrison
Jr. delivers a stunningly nu-
anced performance as a star
student, adopted from war torn
Eritrea when he was 7. Naomi
Watts and Tim Roth play his
parents. When a teacher (Octa-
via Spencer) discovers illegal
fireworks in his locker, their

confrontation sparks a stand-

off. Good intentions crumble

and prejudices surface as the

characters in Luce’s orbit slip

deeper into a maze of power

and deceit. (109 min., R)

(Nora McGreevy)

YYYMaidenImagine taking

part in a 33,000-mile, nine-

month sailing race around the

globe. Then imagine as many

people doubting and ridiculing

you as cheering you on. This is

the odyssey chronicled in an

absorbing documentary look at

British yachting captain Tracy

Edwards and the pioneering

all-female crew who joined her

for the prestigious — and de-

cidedly patriarchal — Whit-

bread Round the World Race in

1989. (93 min., not rated) (Tom
      Russo)
      YYYMikeWallaceIsHereHe
      sure is, in Avi Belkin’s smart,
      dynamic documentary about
      the solar-plexus-seeking “60
      Minutes” journalist. Belkin’s
      style is slam-bang, like his sub-
      ject’s, which is good. It’s also a
      bit unnuanced, also like its sub-
      ject’s, which is less good. (91
      min., PG-13) (Mark Feeney)
      YYYYOnceUponaTime...
      inHollywoodA fading movie
      star (Leonardo DiCaprio) and
      his stuntman friend (Brad Pitt)
      confront a changing film indus-
      try while the Manson family
      readies itself to descend from
      the hills with knives. A Quentin
      Tarantino movie and one of his
      best, with an unspoken tension
      between reality and make-be-
      lieve that’s glib, inventive, and

ultimately touching. With Mar-

got Robbie as Sharon Tate.

(165 min., R) (Ty Burr)

YYYOneChildNationIn this

disturbing documentary the

filmmaker returns to her native

China to learn how her family

and others responded to the

One-Child Policy, imposed in

1979 and not lifted until 2015.

There she uncovers a history of

brutal social engineering, in-

cluding forced sterilization, in-

voluntary abortions, family

separation, and infanticide. (90

min., rated R) (Peter Keough)

YY½ThePeanutButterFal-

conZack Gottsagen, a newcom-

er with Down syndrome, does

capable, amusing work as a

young man with pro-wrestling

aspirations. Shia LeBeouf finds

a solid outlet for his idiosyn-

cratic tastes, playing a troubled

laborer befriended by this

steadfast dreamer. Dakota

Johnson is agreeably cast as an

emotionally invested nursing

home caregiver. Still, this

thoughtful yarn is limited by a

quaintly straightforward story

line. (96 min., PG-13) (Tom

Russo)

YYYSpider-Man:FarFrom

HomeThe latest iteration of the

web-slinging franchise is actu-

ally a wholesome teen comedy

disguised as a superhero movie.

As such, it’s energetic, light-

weight, fun, and forgettable.

Tom Holland is a fine Peter

Parker; Zendaya’s MJ is proba-

bly the smartest person in the

entire Marvel Extended Uni-

verse. With Jake Gyllenhaal

and Samuel L. Jackson. (129

min., PG-13) (Ty Burr)

YYYTel Aviv on FireUnder-

achieving Salam, a 40-some-

thing Palestinian living in Jeru-

salem, lands a job as a writer

on a soap opera after a chance

meeting with Assi, an Israeli

soldier. When Assi and the

show’s financial backers butt

heads over the season finale,

absurdity ensues. A sharp com-

edy that tackles weighty

themes but doesn’t take itself

too seriously. (97 min., unrat-

ed) (Nora McGreevy).

YYWhere’dYouGo,Berna-

detteA disaffected Seattle wife

and mother goes off the grid.

Maria Semple’s comic best-sell-

er has been wrestled to the

screen by Richard Linklater

(“Boyhood”) with very mixed

results. Cate Blanchett makes

the title character hard to take

in ways both intended and not.

With Billy Crudup, Kristen Wi-

ig, and newcomer Emma Nel-

son, the film’s stealth MVP.

(107 min., PG-13) (Ty Burr)

YYYesterdayWhat if the

Beatles didn’t exist except in

the memory of a man (Himesh

Patel) who performs the songs

as his own? A cute idea, it

works for about half the movie,

before formulaic rom-com plot-

ting swamps it. The less the

Beatles mean to you, the more

you’ll probably like this. With

Lily James and Kate McKin-

non. Directed by Danny Boyle,

co-written by Richard “Love

Actually” Curtis. (116 min.,

PG-13) (Ty Burr)

MOVIE STARS

JON PACK/NEON

AMAZON STUDIOS

MOVIE REVIEW

YYY

BRITTANY RUNS A

MARATHON

Written and directed by Paul

Downs Colaizzo. Starring

Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins,

Utkarsh Ambudkar. At Boston

Common, Kendall Square,

Coolidge Corner. 104 minutes.

R (language throughout,

sexuality, some drug

material).

‘Brittany’ right in step with character comedy

Jillian Bell stars in

“Brittany Runs a Marathon.”

Kelvin

Harrison Jr.

stars in the

title role in

“Luce.”

A FILM BY

VICTOR KOSSAKOVSKY

AQUARELA

WWW.SONYCLASSICS.COM

SHOT IN GLORIOUS

96 FRAMES PER SECOND!

WWW.AQUARELA.MOVIE

“EYE-POPPING! DAZZLING.

STUNNING.UNLIKE

ANYTHING YOU MIGHT

HAVE SEEN BEFORE.”

-JEANNETTECATSOULIS, The NEW YORK TIMES

CambridgeLANDMARK’S

KENDALL SQUARE CINEMA

(617) 621-1202

WalthamLANDMARK’S

EMBASSY CINEMA

(781) 736-7852

STARTS TODAY

ARLINGTON

CAPITOL THEATRE

204 Massachussetts Ave. 781-648-4340

6IDIGAD

http://www.capitoltheatreusa.com

LUCE(R)5:15, 7:40, 9:55

MIKE WALLACE IS HERE(PG-13)12:00,

2:15, 7:15

ROCKETMAN(R)4:45, 9:20

TEL AVIV ON FIRE(NR)1:00, 4:15, 7:00,

9:15

THE LION KING(PG)12:00, 2:30, 5:00,

7:30, 10:00

TOY STORY 4(G)12:15, 2:45

YESTERDAY(PG-13)1:15, 4:30, 7:20, 9:50

BOSTON

SIMONS IMAX THEATRE

New England Aquarium, Central Wharf

617-973-5200

58 DIG

http://www.neaq.org

TURTLE ODYSSEY(NR)10:00, 1:00, 5:00

AUSTRALIA'S GREAT WILD NORTH(NR)

2:00, 6:00

HIDDEN PACIFIC 3D(NR)11:00, 4:00

OCEANS: OUR BLUE PLANET(NR)12:00,

3:00

BROOKLINE

COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE

290 Harvard St. 617-734-2500

56

http://www.coolidge.org

MIDSOMMAR: DIRECTOR'S CUT(NR)9:00

BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON(R)10:30,

2:00, 4:45, 7:15, 9:45

THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON(PG-13)

11:15, 1:45, 4:15, 6:45, 9:00

ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD(R)

11:00, 2:30, 6:00, 9:30

THE FAREWELL(PG)11:45, 2:15, 4:30, 7:00

TOMMY WISEAU'S THE ROOM(NR)G

11:59

ANACONDAS: TRAIL OF BLOOD(R)G

11:59

LEXINGTON

LEXINGTON VENUE

1794 Massachussetts Ave. 781-861-6161

56IAD DOL DSS

http://lexingtonvenue.com/

THEPEANUT BUTTER FALCON(PG-13)

7:00, 9:00

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT(PG-13)4:00

THE FAREWELL(PG)6:45, 8:45

TOY STORY 4(G)4:15

SOMERVILLE

SOMERVILLE THEATRE

55 Davis Square 617-625-5700

56IDIG AD

http://somervilletheatre.com/

BLINDEDBY THE LIGHT(PG-13)1:15, 3:45,

6:30

MIDSOMMAR: DIRECTOR'S CUT(NR)9:00

ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD(R)

1:10, 4:30

ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD

(R)8:00

READY OR NOT(R)1:20, 3:30, 5:40, 7:45,

9:55

THE FAREWELL(PG)1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:40,

9:55

WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE(PG-13)

1:40, 4:40, 7:30

INFO VALID 8/30/19 ONLY

The Boston Globe Movie Directory is a paid

advertisement. Listings appear at the sole

discretion of each cinema. Towns may

appear out of alphabetical order so that

listings will remain unbroken from column

to column

Bargain show times are shown in

()parentheses

G Restrictions apply/No Passes

5 Handicapped accessible

8 Stadium Seating

6 Hearing Impaired

IRear Window Captioning

DOL Dolby Stereo

DIG Digital Sound

DSSDolby Surround Sound

K Descriptive Video Service

ADAudio Description

“deliciousLY

walks a fine

comedicline”

CAPITOL THEATRE

204 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE,

ARLINGTON 781-648-4340

1:00PM 4:15PM 7:00PM 9:15PM

THE summer’s

hottest comedy!

“LAUGHOUT

LOUDFUNNY”

“FUNNY!”

TELAVIVONFIRE

F Y!

TEL VIVONFI

COHENMEDI UPPRESETS

KENDALL SQUARE CINEMA

355 BINNEY STREET, CAMBRIDGE 617-621-12021:35PM 7:10PM

WEST NEWTON CINEMA

1296 WASHINGTON STREET,

WEST NEWTON 617-964-8074

1:40PM 4:00PM 6:00PM 8:20PM