Review: Restless
All too often, when a movie can be described as sentimental, it's usually not a compliment. Gus Van Sant's latest film Restless however is a welcome reminder that death-themed films needn't rely on the suffocating pedestrian solemnity so common in heartfelt fare.
A solemn young man (Henry Hopper) meets an effervescent young woman (Mia Wasikowska) at a funeral of all places. After a few more chance encounters, the pair finds they both have a fascination with death, but neither obsession is quite what it seems; Enoch is trapped by his past, and Annabel has embraced her future. For a while they have a whimsically sweet present, as they humor each other's morbid fantasies with a faith in one another rarely seen in real life, let alone on the jaded silver screen. But it starts seeming less healthy and more a folie à deux to Annabel's protective sister (Schuyler Fisk), especially after Enoch and Annabel share confidences, and Annabel so easily accepts the existence of Enoch's spectral best friend, Hiroshi (Ryo Kase).
Comparisons to Harold and Maude are inescapable, and not only because of the morbid fascinations and funeral crashing. Restless is arguably an homage to the cult classic (along with another, more recent celebrated drama that is apparent when watching the movie). But Restless has a distinctly different tone even if ultimately it ends up in a similar place. The resemblance is superficial at best, with Restless intentionally a sweet, tender story of first love in unusual circumstances, not a satirical dark comedy.
There's no new ground broken by Restless, but then again, there's nothing in it that indicates it's trying to do so. Screenwriter Jason Lew doesn’t rely on the usual melodramatic tropes often found in films so focused on mortality and bereavement. While it could be argued the script is superficial, it’s just as valid an argument to say that while the often buoyant script may focus on the positive, it doesn’t shy away from gravitas, either as it becomes harder for Enoch to escape his past.
Director Van Sant (Milk, Good Will Hunting) has a deft touch with complex, engaging stories. He knows how to jerk a tear, but he also knows how to make characters sympathetic and engaging, flaws and all. And there are plenty of tears in Restless, but only because the leads are so disarming. Van Sant delivers laughs and tears and all. In another director's hands, or with different actors, Restless could have easily become maudlin or annoyingly twee.
Hopper's Enoch could easily be creepy or comical, but instead his fragility is evident. And Wasikowska's Annabel could easily have induced diabetic comas, but her zen-like charm tempers the saccharine. Unsurprisingly, Kase (Letters from Iwo Jima) steals every scene he's in as the ghost only Enoch can see, even if there are other characters in the same shot. Hiroshi is a unobtrusive character, rarely wasting words whether quietly questioning Enoch's choices or uttering exasperated retorts.
Overall, Restless is a refreshing story about two people whose faith in each other is a welcome break from the usual cynical fare. It's a great example of how much better a film can be when you walk in with minimal expectations.