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Brisbane Film Critics Select 'Parasite' As Best Of 2019
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Since 2011, I have been pulling together a list of the best movies of the year according to the Brisbane-based critics who I run into regularly at preview screenings. Those films to have topped prior year lists have been Drive in 2011, Argo in 2012, Gravity in 2013, Boyhood in 2014, Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015, La La Land in 2016, Get Out in 2017 and The Favourite in 2018.
To come up with an overall top 10, I’ve used a simple points system and applied it to the list of each critic. It is as follows:
- 3 points for the top film on each list.
- 2 points for the films ranked between 2nd and 5th on each list.
- 1 point for the films ranked between 6th and 10th on each list.
If two films finished on the same score, the film that appeared on the most number of top 10 lists is ranked higher (as an indication of wider approval).
In the 9 years that I’ve putting together this list, we’ve never had such a comprehensive winner. Parasite is the clear choice of Brisbane critics as the best film of 2019. The Palme d’Or winner from South Korean director Bong Joon-ho was ranked in the “top 10” by 11 of 12 critics (it was only my list where it was missing!) and 6 critics had it as their top movie of the year.
Parasite finished 14 points ahead of the second place getter, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (the previous record winning margin was La La Land by 10 points in 2016). The other two films to appear on more than 50% of the critics’ respective “top 10” lists were Knives Out in 3rd place and Us in 4th place.
Another milestone this year was the inclusion of 3 foreign language films in the top 10. In addition to Parasite, both Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Pain and Glory made the cut with 3 critics naming Antonio Banderas (the star of Pain and Glory) as giving the year’s best performance.
The remaining films on the list included two Netflix dramas, The Irishman and Marriage Story, and two comedies, Jojo Rabbit and Booksmart.
On that note, here are the top 10 movies of 2019 according to Brisbane critics…
Brisbane Film Critics - Top 10 of 2019
1. Parasite
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
3. Knives Out
4. Us
5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
6. The Irishman
7. Jojo Rabbit
8. Marriage Story
9. Booksmart
10. Pain and Glory
You can view a table of all the votes and final scores by clicking here.
A big thanks to all the critics who were able to contribute. Hopefully we'll do it again next year!
You can check out information on all the Brisbane critics (along with their choices for the best and worst of 2019) below.
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Matthew Toomey | Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | If Beale Street Could Talk |
| 2. | Eighth Grade |
| 3. | The Guilty |
| 4. | The Nightingale |
| 5. | Portrait of a Lady on Fire |
| 6. | The Report |
| 7. | The Australian Dream |
| 8. | Toy Story 4 |
| 9. | Dogman |
| 10. | Burning |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| The Nightingale | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Toy Story 4 | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| The Australian Dream | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| After | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Cold Pursuit | |
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Sarah Ward | Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Parasite |
| 2. | The Nightingale |
| 3. | Portrait of a Lady on Fire |
| 4. | Pain and Glory |
| 5. | Us |
| 6. | High Life |
| 7. | Burning |
| 8. | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |
| 9. | Marriage Story |
| 10. | The Irishman |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Little Joe |
| 2. | Synonyms |
| 3. | True History of the Kelly Gang |
| 4. | I Lost My Body |
| 5. | Atlantics |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| The Nightingale | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Weathering with You | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Varda by Agnes | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Cats | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Crawl | |
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Garry Williams| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Woman at War |
| 2. | Parasite |
| 3. | Sorry We Missed You |
| 4. | Joker |
| 5. | Us |
| 6. | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |
| 7. | The Irishman |
| 8. | Pain and Glory |
| 9. | Official Secrets |
| 10. | The Report |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Capital in the 20th Century |
| 2. | The Spy Gone North |
| 3. | Memory: The Origins of Alien |
| 4. | Untouchable |
| 5. | Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Acute Misfortune | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| 2040 | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| The Nightingale | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Rocketman | |
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Peter Gray| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Parasite |
| 2. | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |
| 3. | Pain and Glory |
| 4. | Marriage Story |
| 5. | Booksmart |
| 6. | Us |
| 7. | Destroyer |
| 8. | Midsommar |
| 9. | The Farewell |
| 10. | Hustlers |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Dolemite Is My Name |
| 2. | The Day Shall Come |
| 3. | Little Monsters |
| 4. | The Perfection |
| 5. | In Fabric |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| The Nightingale | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Toy Story 4 | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| The Australian Dream | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Florence Pugh (Midsommar) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Cats | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Child's Play | |
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Ella Donald| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Portrait of a Lady on Fire |
| 2. | Mystify: Michael Hutchence |
| 3. | Parasite |
| 4. | Knives Out |
| 5. | Jojo Rabbit |
| 6. | Woman at War |
| 7. | Booksmart |
| 8. | Little Woods |
| 9. | Ford v Ferrari |
| 10. | Vox Lux |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Little Women |
| 2. | Dark Waters |
| 3. | Matthias et Maxime |
| 4. | Homecoming |
| 5. | A Hidden Life |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Mystify: Michael Hutchence | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Toy Story 4 | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Mystify: Michael Hutchence | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Brad Pitt (Ad Astra) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Joker | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Charlie's Angels | |
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David Edwards| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Parasite |
| 2. | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |
| 3. | The Farewell |
| 4. | Birds of Passage |
| 5. | Booksmart |
| 6. | Knives Out |
| 7. | Jojo Rabbit |
| 8. | If Beale Street Could Talk |
| 9. | The White Crow |
| 10. | Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | 1917 |
| 2. | The Sound of Silence |
| 3. | The Ballad of Buster Scruggs |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Judy and Punch | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Toy Story 4 | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Awkwafina (The Farewell) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Promised | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Zombieland: Double Tap | |
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Dave Crewe| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Ad Astra |
| 2. | Parasite |
| 3. | Pain and Glory |
| 4. | The Irishman |
| 5. | Portrait of a Lady on Fire |
| 6. | Hustlers |
| 7. | Avengers: Endgame |
| 8. | If Beale Street Could Talk |
| 9. | Rocketman |
| 10. | Us |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Knife + Heart |
| 2. | Under the Silver Lake |
| 3. | Colour Out of Space |
| 4. | El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie |
| 5. | So Long, My Son |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| The Furies | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Toy Story 4 | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Secret Obsession | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Terminator: Dark Fate | |
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Rob Hudson| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Parasite |
| 2. | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |
| 3. | The Irishman |
| 4. | Knives Out |
| 5. | Jojo Rabbit |
| 6. | Hotel Mumbai |
| 7. | Booksmart |
| 8. | Avengers: Endgame |
| 9. | The Nightingale |
| 10. | Us |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Dolemite Is My Name |
| 2. | El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie |
| 3. | Love, Antosha |
| 4. | Hail Satan? |
| 5. | Velvet Buzzsaw |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| The Nightingale | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Toy Story 4 | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Apollo 11 | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Playing with Fire | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Ready or Not | |
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Baz McAlister| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Jojo Rabbit |
| 2. | Us |
| 3. | Parasite |
| 4. | Knives Out |
| 5. | Midsommar |
| 6. | Avengers: Endgame |
| 7. | Booksmart |
| 8. | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker |
| 9. | The Kid Who Would Be King |
| 10. | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| The Nightingale | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Toy Story 4 | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Free Solo | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Lupita Nyong'o (Us) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Rambo: Last Blood | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw | |
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Adam Roboczi| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Parasite |
| 2. | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |
| 3. | Burning |
| 4. | Knives Out |
| 5. | Marriage Story |
| 6. | Midsommar |
| 7. | The House That Jack Built |
| 8. | The Farewell |
| 9. | Woman at War |
| 10. | Dragged Across Concrete |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | In Fabric |
| 2. | Her Smell |
| 3. | Dolemite Is My Name |
| 4. | Dogs Don't Wear Pants |
| 5. | The Art of Self-Defense |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| The Nightingale | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Frozen 2 | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Elizabeth Moss (Her Smell) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Cats | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Wild Rose | |
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Nick L'Barrow| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Parasite |
| 2. | The Irishman |
| 3. | Marriage Story |
| 4. | Knives Out |
| 5. | Portrait of a Lady on Fire |
| 6. | Jojo Rabbit |
| 7. | Ford v Ferrari |
| 8. | Joker |
| 9. | Ad Astra |
| 10. | John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Monos |
| 2. | El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie |
| 3. | Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened |
| 4. | Paddleton |
| 5. | Dolemite Is My Name |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| The Australian Dream | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Adam Driver (Marriage Story) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Playing with Fire | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Good Boys | |
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Shayne Grieve| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |
| 2. | The Irishman |
| 3. | Parasite |
| 4. | Avengers: Endgame |
| 5. | Us |
| 6. | Marriage Story |
| 7. | Ad Astra |
| 8. | Knives Out |
| 9. | If Beale Street Could Talk |
| 10. | John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Toy Story 4 | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Adam Driver (Marriage Story) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Hellboy | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Hustlers | |
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Matt's Top 10 Movies of 2019
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
As is tradition, I like to finish up each year by unveiling my top 10 movies. I had the chance to see and review just over 200 films in 2019.
A quick (unfortunate) shout-out to my worst films of the year – After, Swimming with Men, The Kitchen, The Trouble with You, Promised, The House That Jack Built, 47 Metres Down: Uncaged, Angel Has Fallen and Rambo: Last Blood. I’m sure those films will have their fans… but I’m not one of them.
In terms of the best, excellent films I couldn’t squeeze into my top 10 list this year include Cold Pursuit, Mary Poppins Returns, Free Solo, Woman at War, Pain and Glory, Booksmart, Wild Rose, Avengers: Endgame, The Farewell, Official Secrets, Pavarotti and Parasite.
On that note though, here are my top 10 films of 2019 in reverse order…
10. Burning (out Apr 18) is an absorbing drama-thriller from South Korea. It's the tale of an introverted young man who bumps into a girl he knew from school but hasn't seen in years. This is a film with some great conversations and plenty of twists and turns. Lots to think about afterwards.
9. Dogman (out Aug 29) is a gut-wrenching, sad Italian drama about a kind-hearted dog groomer who, in trying to make a better life for his young daughter, falls in with the wrong crowd. Great performances. Powerful themes.
8. Toy Story 4 (out Jun 20) is another funny, intelligent, sentimental movie within this successful franchise that will appeal to audiences of all ages. The terrific script is filled with great dialogue, cool new characters and exquisite metaphors. If you’re looking for a reason to smile, Toy Story 4 will provide.
7. The Australian Dream (out Aug 22) is an affecting documentary that delves into the racial abuse endured by AFL footballer Adam Goodes during the final years of his playing career and the reasons it left such an impact. With a wide range of interviewees, my wish is that every Australian see this film.
6. The Report (out Nov 14) is centred on a former FBI employee asked to lead a Senate investigation into the CIA's “enhanced interrogation” techniques in the years following the September 11 attacks. There’s a lot to take away from this movie. It has something to say about the use of torture, the mental strain of being an investigator, and the role of government and subsequent accountability. Great performances from Adam Driver and Annette Bening.
5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (out Dec 26) is a beautiful French drama about a female artist engaged to paint the portrait of a woman who is soon to be wed. This is a patient drama that builds to a powerful, moving climax. As the artist studies her subject matter, so too do we as the audience. It’s a movie that relies more on eye movement and less on dialogue.
4. The Nightingale (out Aug 29) is a confronting, powerful drama that is not easily forgotten. Set in 1820s Tasmania, it's the tale of a flawed, strong-willed woman (Aisling Franciosi) who seeks vengeance against an abusive British soldier (Sam Claflin). Filled with exceptional performances, this is both an absorbing character study and a gripping history lesson.
3. The Guilty (out Feb 28) is a Danish film about a guy who sits at a desk in an office and talks on the phone for 80 minutes. It may sound dreadfully dull but this is one of the best releases of the year. I was hooked from the opening scene to the closing credits. The less you know going in, the better. Trust me.
2. Eighth Grade (out Jan 24) is an outstanding debut feature from first-time director Bo Burnham. It's the story of a shy, nervous, anxious girl trying to make friends and navigate her way through the final week of middle school. Newcomer Elsie Fisher has created a fascinating leading character. I was cringing (in a good way) at some of the dialogue..
1. If Beale Street Could Talk (out Feb 14) is from director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and is adapted from the 1974 novel by James Baldwin. Part of the film is a beautiful, poetic love story and part of the film is a sad, anger-inducing tale of racism in America. Winner of the best supporting actress Oscar for star Regina King.
Interview - Director Paul Feig on 'Last Christmas'
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
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He’s been in Australia for a few days to promote his latest film, Last Christmas, and I was fortunate enough to speak with Paul Feig about the film and his approach to filmmaking…
Matt: We all know the saying dying is easy, comedy is hard. You’re someone who has made some terrific comedies like Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy. I’ve gotta ask, what’s the secret?
Paul: You have to find really talented, funny people and you need a great script that is funny… and then you have to play it dead serious. You don’t want to try to be jokey or funny because the only thing that can make something not funny is people trying to be funny.
Matt: One feature of all your recent films is that they’re female-driven with some great actresses in leading roles. Is that something you always set out to do?
Paul: Yeah. I’ve always loved working with women and I also love stories about women. I’ve seen such poor portrayals of women over the past few decades on screen, especially in comedies, where they’re often relegated to being props and supporters of the funny men. It never felt fair to me. The women were one-dimensional whereas the men got to be three-dimensional. There’s really nothing else I want to do to be quite honest. There are so many women’s stories to be told and I love doing it.
Matt: You’ve been ahead of the curve in that regard. Do you think Hollywood is getting the message? Are we going to see more female-driven comedies to even the balance up?
Paul: Yeah, they’re definitely waking up. It’s still ridiculous that they’ve been asleep for that. More than half of the population of the planet are women and they somehow thing people don’t want to see movies starring women. It’s getting better. Bridesmaids helped by showing there’s an audience and that money can be made. That’s the only thing that Hollywood ultimately understands. There’s still a long way to go because the percentages are very low.
Matt: Let’s talk about Last Christmas which we now have the chance to see. I believe it was Emma Thompson who came up with the first semblance of a storyline. When did you become involved with the project?
Paul: I only got involved about a year and a half ago. Emma had been developing the script with Bryony Kimmings and her husband, Greg Wise, for about 8 years. At one point, she had the opportunity to sit with George Michael and talk to him about it. He read some stuff and really loved it and wanted to be involved with the music when it was finished but sadly he passed away.
It’s been a long road. When it got to me, it was in really good shape. As a director, you go through it with the writer who just so happened to be Dame Emma Thompson and we tried a few things. She was a great collaborator and we just kept making it better and better.
Matt: So what was it about the script that jumped out at you when you first had the chance to see it?
Paul: The whole thing worked. It was compelling. I loved the lead character that Emilia Clarke plays. She’s a very challenging character in a way that women don’t often get to be on screen. We’ve seen movies start out with men who are misbehaving and lashing out and audience go along with it. If you dare have a woman do that, they’ll say “she’s not likeable”. It’s not fair. Why can’t a woman be three-dimensional and be misbehaving and start out in a place where she needs to find out who she is. I really responded to that. The script was also funny and emotional and I loved how dramatic it was. It kind of all came together as part of a perfect storm.
Matt: There are reasons but Kate’s self-centred and a very hard person to like before she starts to wise up. Is that tricky as a filmmaker? Working out how to push and illustrate the character’s flaws before they start down a different path?
Paul: Yeah, you have to be careful. Whether a character is male or female, people will go “okay, I’m so frustrated with this person and I can’t invest in them”. You have to walk the line a little bit. At the same time, we wanted to make sure we pushed it right to the edge. We all know these people in our lives who are in a bad place. If you see something in them or know something in their past that is redeemable, you want them to be healed and you want them to work things out. That’s kind of the feeling we wanted with this. Emilia Clarke is wonderful on screen. You do invest in her even when she’s misbehaving.
Matt: I have to ask about the store and there’s a great line where someone says to Kate “oh you must love your job” because it’s a Christmas themed place where everyone is supposed to be happy and festive when that’s not really the case. It says a lot about how we perceive the season.
Paul: Yeah, that’s why Christmas movies are so interesting to do. It’s this clash of forced happiness with getting together with family and friends. It sounds lovely but often it’s not. A lot of issues come out but you’re still surrounded by love and rebirth. It’s a nice, beautiful clash of everything. This movie could exist if it wasn’t set at Christmas time and I think it would work just as well but there’s something about that backdrop and being able to do it in London that is wonderful.
Matt: You’ve mentioned that the film is shot in London and part of Henry Golding’s character is to find some hidden, secret parts of London that he shows off to Emilia Clarke’s character. How did you settle on which locations to use?
Paul: It was both easy and hard. I’m a lover of London and its one of my favourite places in the world. I see it through the eyes of someone from the outside and not somebody who lives there and has gotten used to it. It’s like a Sophie’s Choice of which locations you use. There are so many great places around.
I didn’t even know if we’d be able to do it because a lot of the film is set in Covent Garden because that’s where the Christmas store is. I remember thinking that I’d have to find some place that looks like Covent Garden because they’d never let us shoot there but then it turned out the city was very welcoming to us. We just had to shoot at very odd hours when no one was out. A lot of our shooting on the streets of London started at 2am in the morning and would go through to sunrise. It was tough. We were tired a lot of the time.
Matt: So is the Christmas store a real place?
Paul: No, it’s completely made up. If you go to Covent Garden, there’s a couple of passageways that go through and so we built the store into one of those passageways and the interior was built on a sound stage.
Matt: You’ve thrown yourself into cameos in some of your films. Did you think about it for this one? Or where you in there and I missed you?
Paul: No. I’ve done that in the past but now I’m not doing it as much. I too much respect for this movie than to sully it with me. With these amazing actors, I wouldn’t even dare share the screen with the likes of Dame Emma Thompson.
Matt: A lot is being said at the moment about Netflix and other streaming services. Big movies like Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman is largely avoiding cinemas and going to Netflix. Are you a fan of that or will you always be making movies for the big screen?
Paul: Yeah, I’m a big screen guy. There’s nothing like the experience of seeing a movie in a theatre. That’s why movie stars are movie stars. They’re up 50 feet high doing things in front of you. The streamers have a great place. I produced a movie called Someone Great that’s on Netflix now. It’s an $8 million movie with a first-time female director who also wrote it. She wanted to direct it, I wanted her direct it, but I don’t think a movie studio would do it and take the chance. Netflix are great for that but when it comes to big movies, they’ve got to be seen on the big screen.
Matt: What are you working on at the moment? What will we see from you next?
Paul: I’m hoping it’ll be a monster movie that I’ve written for Universal Studios. It’s based on the old movies of the 30s like Frankenstein and Dracula. I love the feel of those old movies because they’re scary but also really fun. It’s called Dark Army and I really hope the studio wants to make it.
Interview - Jillian Bell on 'Brittany Runs a Marathon'
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
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Brittany Runs a Marathon is a terrific, surprising comedy that is about to receive a limited release in Australian cinemas. While she was visiting Sydney, I had the chance to speak to star Jillian Bell about the film…
Matt: Can you tell us how this script first came across your radar?
Jillian: The script came to me a couple of years ago. My manager sent it my way and knew I was looking to do something a little different and outside my comfort zone. It was also an opportunity to step up and take on a leading role. She told me it might be a little daunting but it would be super relatable.
On reading it, I laughed so hard out loud in some parts and was crying in other parts. I immediately became protective of the character that I haven’t been before and so I desperately wanted to play her. I’ve shared a lot of the struggles she goes through and knowing that I’m not alone, I felt others would want to see it too.
Matt: I was reading that you lost 40 pounds as part of your preparation for the role?
Jillian: It definitely connected me to the character better which is why I did it. I wasn’t asked to lose weight. While there were parts of the script that I could relate to, there were other parts I didn’t understand. I felt if I went through it myself, I could better get into her headspace. I threw on my own running shoes and started prepping by myself at first and then I got a trainer.
Matt: Did your own personal experience with that weight loss shape the script from writer-director Paul Downs Colaizzo?
Jillian: There were a couple of things I told Paul that I’d experienced in my own life. I had the script about 7 months before the shoot and so we were chatting weekly about every scene in the film. Because we had to shoot the film in just 28 days, it was important for us to get on the same page and make sure we were saying the same thing. It was also helpful that Paul was also the writer because we could then talk about what we were shooting. There’s such a delicate balance to the subject matter of the film and we didn’t want to screw it up or have anything lost in translation. We were constantly having creative conversations.
Matt: It’s not right to criticise people because of their weight but at the same time, we do have growing issues with obesity and heart disease in society. How do you balance that up in determining the messages to take away from the movie?
Jillian: I don’t think we ever had the goal of criticising people because of their weight. We wanted to make a film that shows what it’s like to make any kind of a change in your life. For this one, it happens to be a woman training for the New York City Marathon and she happens to be losing weight but it’s not the goal or the focus of the movie.
There are parts where Brittany loses her values and starts to focus in on the number on the scales but that’s her low point in the film. For us, it’s about what happens when you change your life and showcasing how difficult that can be. It’s not such an easy thing to make any change. That was the most interesting thing to me. It comes with real highs and real lows but if you put yourself first, in any regard in your life, it can be a beautiful thing.
Matt: The film is about more than weight loss. I loved the exploration of the character and how Brittany pushes people away and wallows I’m self-pity. Was that a challenging side to the role?
Jillian: Yeah. That was the one thing that I struggled with. I surround myself with people who I love dearly and want good things from my life. I don’t know if I could survive in this world without that. Life is tough enough as it is and hard to not have people who are rooting for you.
Matt: The film had a great response when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the audience award for US dramatic film. Were you expecting such a strong response to the movie?
Jillian: You always hope that people like the film but it was still a big surprise to me. I was already back home at the time of the awards ceremony and I was watching it on my laptop while playing a game on my phone. I didn’t think anything would happen and I didn’t even know Paul was still there. When we won the audience award, I was screaming in my house and the dogs were jumping on me.
It was such an incredible moment because it’s the audience that really matters. They’d seen all these different movies and they voted for our film to win. Since that happened, the responses have been so amazing. Having women and men come up and say “thank you for this movie… I finally feel seen”. That’s been the best response.
Matt: It’s great to have you in Australia and doing a few Q&As. What’s the response been like since you’ve been here so far?
Jillian: It’s been wonderful. We’ve been doing a press junket for the past couple of days and one of the publicists was saying the audience reaction has been so strong with people relating their own stories. I told her that it’s been like that throughout the whole process.
I’ve been part of press junkets before where the interviewers are mundane off camera and then get all excited on camera as they go “we’re live here with so and so…” I almost want to stop the interview half way through and ask if they’re doing okay and want to talk about their own problems. With this, people have been coming in and sharing their own stories and their own backgrounds. It’s been lovely.
Matt: You actually shot scenes during the New York City Marathon?
Jillian: Without giving too much away, they were. It was one of my top 10 days of my life. Being a part of something that big and to be shooting in it with 50,000 people deciding to do the same thing with the same goal. It was incredible. We were all weeping that day. We had a small crew of about 4-6 people the day of the marathon and I didn’t even have a microphone on. It was really about nailing the look, the feel and the emotion of the marathon. It was a day I’ll never forget.
Matt: So did you get to the whole thing yourself or was it select bits for the camera?
Jillian: Yeah, it was select bits. We also had a cheat day where we recreated the marathon and used extras to film certain parts of the marathon.
Matt: I’ll finish up by asking what are you working on next?
Jillian: I’ve been doing a couple of smaller parts in movies such as El Tonto with Charlie Day and Bill & Ted Face the Music. I just wrote a movie that I’m hoping to shoot next year. That’s the biggest thing I’m trying to work on.
Matt: Do a few more doors open up when you’ve got a film out like Brittany Runs a Marathon where you’re the lead and it’s putting bums on seats and making money?
Jillian: It seems to be. I’m taking that and running with it as much as I can. I would love to create more content myself. I’m working to produce more, to write and hopefully direct some day.