Mike Leigh, Happy Go Lucky director and co-star Eddie Marsan pair up once more for a new story, A Running Jump. The last pairing of the actor and director had won Marsan a British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and a London Film Critics Award for Best British Supporting Actor.
Marsan uses his wild acting ability in A Running Jump centring the comedic actions surrounding yet another automobile reminiscent of his driving instructor character in his previous Leigh movie.
In this brief film, Marsan plays, Perry a car salesman, whose mismanagement leads him to depend on his wife, Debbie, for financial backup. The movie centers on Perry’s chaotic day of trying to sell a car based on borrowing money from his wife, played by actress Samantha Spiro, in order that he can sell the car.
When his wife refuses, he is forced to sell a deteriorating car instead. The short had a world premiere at the London 2012 Film Festival with a line of other short films all loosely based on the Olympics. It was shown during the Olympics and Paralympics, and was later broadcast on the BBC and Channel Four.
Here is a short clip of A Running Jump with Marsan seen at the end.