Thursday, February 9, 2012

Restless (2011)

Restless (2011)
Restless (2011)

Genre: Drama
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Henry Hopper, Mia Wasikowska, Ryo Kase
Language: English
Duration: 91 min.
Rating: 6.6  

Summary:
The story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot.



Restless is a film by director Gus Van Sant and written by Jason Lew. It premiered as the opening film of the Un Certain Regard section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

It follows two teenagers, Enoch (Henry Hopper, son of Dennis) and Annabel (Mia Wasikowska). He has a habit of crashing stranger's funerals and is haunted by the spirit of a WWII kamikaze fighter pilot, and she is a cancer patient with a pixie cut and peculiar fashion sense he meets at one of them. Naturally, they fire up a relationship, and then things play out almost exactly by the quirky indie teen romance numbers from there.

Not that this is a poorly made or unenjoyable film, there are some sweet moments to be found, I enjoyed the character of Hiroshi (Ryo Kase) as gimmicky as he may be, and rising star Mia Wasikowska is outright impressive as always. As well, I do love the laid back natural west-coast atmosphere of films set in Portland. However, it's all so very predictable from start to finish, and in borrowing it's main ideas and style from so many other films of this type, Van Sant fails to make Restless stand out on its own.

I suppose if this were made by a different unknown director, I might see it in a different light, but it's far short of the potential of someone as accomplished as Gus Van Sant.

Bonjour Tristesse

Restless (2011)

Restless (2011)

Restless (2011)

Restless (2011)

Restless (2011)

Restless (2011)

Restless (2011)

Restless (2011)

19 comments:

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I wouldn't call them awful, but I will agree they are vastly overrated, and yes Gus does seem to make these kinds of average films at random, so again your theory does makes sense.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I didn't hate it, I just found it to be as @CS said, lackluster. I agree the silent speech at the end was a nice touch.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

There surely are multiple references to Breathless here, and that is an interesting theory you have, GSV has never been shy about borrowing scenes and technique from elsewhere, but I think that is giving him way too much benefit of the doubt this time around.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

 Yes that is a bit wacky, but surprisingly that's not a weak point in the film. Though this one is definitely not a must see by any means. Take your time.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

He's not the only token Asian character in this either.

DEZMOND said...

yep, I heard most people were disappointed by it. The topics they deal with are just too superficial in today's world. I do like Henry Hopper, and can't wait to see him in next films, but unlike you, I just can't stand Wasikowska, she ruins every film for me. The same as that Mulligan girl and that Harry Plopper girl. Don't like that type of actresses. 

365 moviesandsongs365 said...

Should have been better with Gus Van Sant at the helm.  Harold and Maude is a tough act to follow.

Michael Parent said...

Van Sant has been releasing new films almost every year and it is almost impossible to keep the pace for the cinephile and also for him to keep the quality level high enough. I've been trying to comment on your blog for some time but it kind of didn't worked with disqus at my office... sorry for that I have some comments for previous reviews here...

Lisa Thatcher said...

OH!  I don't mean to be unkind, ageist or homophobic, but Gus Van Sant DOES have a propensity to take "young men" under his wing and make really ordinary films "for" them in order to get their careers going. Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester etc.  Those films were awful (yes - even good will hunting), and he's done it again here, because he "fell in love" with Jason Lew's play, which I heard (but haven't seen or read myself) is poor, filled with holes and literally "slapped" together. This may simply be a case of an older gay man becoming enamored with his latest protege. It looks like it had such poor source material even GVS can't save it. 

Lisa Thatcher said...

This is an odd film. I really enjoyed it, but I thought it was a celebration-of-cinema-type thing, but I do have a tendency to 'see' things better than they are when the director is one I've pined hopes on. GVS dedicated this to Denis Hopper, so in a way it's about "The day the movies died".  Mia Wasikowska looks (and acts) SO MUCH like Jean Seberg in Breathless and the little "love montage" is so filled with hilarious cliches (they play badminton, laugh, clasp hands and run off etc) that I felt it was not meant to be taken at face value. But if that's GVS's point, it is WAY WAY too subtle. There are lots of homage shots to cinema. (there seems to be an awful lot of that in films at the moment) 
I had a good time with this film, but I do think it's all over the shop.
Oh - cinematography is good. Its very beautiful.

Hoi-Ming Ng said...

I'd watch this just for the kamikaze pilot. That sounds like the only original thing in here.

Diana said...

I agree, it is predictable and we have seen the dying girl, boy in love story many times before, but I liked it. I remember seeing it at a film festival last year and being moved by the performances and the end, in particular- it gave me one of the most weird reactions ever, and for that I still have it in my head vividly!

d_4 said...

It really just seems average. Also, lol'd at Angry Lurker. Ahahaha

Ruth Richards said...

Oh my goodness...up until the 'Japanese kamikaze pilot' it sounds quite reasonable. I may see it just for Mia, but it's not out where I am for a few more weeks yet. Too many others take precedence. 

CS said...

The film has its moments,  but overall it was very lackluster.  Mia Wasikowska was the best part of the film but even that is not enough to recommend the film on.

The Angry Lurker said...

"The story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot."...I literally went WTF?

linzybrooke said...

I cried my eyes out. Nuff said.

linzybrooke said...

I thought it was sosososososo sweet. And I cried my eyes out especially on the end when he went up there to talk at her memorial service and showed all their memories. I cried my eyes out. I thought it was amazing. Nuff said.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Thanks for the comment Linzy. I'm glad you got much more out of the film than I did.

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