Interesting to watch this film without having known anything about it; at least, I found it interesting to be carried along by it but also then to have to reflect on it. I read some of the comments here, on Short of the Week (where I saw this) and on the site holding the original essay on which this is based – a lot of people taking the title at face value. Maybe this is understandable, because the film does make it look like such an advice film, and it does show the lead actor toning up significantly, but the workout aspect of the film is less about losing weight, and more about time healing.
The character throws himself into something to an almost unhealthy degree (here it is the gym, but it can be anything I think). With time he starts to break out of it, and find a new path for his life that is not defined by the pain of a previous relationship. This is delivered at pace and is generally amusing if deliberately not hilarious. The voicework and performances are all spot on – and credit to the editing, which is practically a character here. I wondered if the film hung its hat too much on the value of the person being defined by the presence of a relationship, and on reflection this bothered me a bit; but on the other hand it all rings true for those of us who have been through breakups (whether we went into the gym or not).
I'm still not wholly sold on its message (and the way others genuinely take it as a film about getting in shape sort of confirms that it is not strong on that front) but I enjoyed the energy, the pace, the honesty, and the way all parts work together as a whole.
