RESTLESS (2011)

Directed By: Gus Van Sant 
Written By: Jason Lew 
Cinematography By: Harris Savides 
Editor: Elliot Graham 

Cast: Henry Hopper, Mia Wasikowska, Ryo Case, Jane Adams, Schuyler Fisk 


Annabel is a terminally ill cancer patient and is quietly awaiting her death spending her time studying nature. Enoch is struggling to recover from the death of his parents and spends his time attending funerals with his only friend - a ghost named Hiroshi who was a WWII Japanese kamikaze pilot. Just as Annabel's sister is trying to cope with Annabel's impending death, Annabel and Enoch fall in love. They both finally have a reason to live, but is it too late to have a life together?

While certainly quirky and beautifully filmed. The film also feels very familiar and. It in a good way. It feels too familiar where it disturbs you by how much nothing feels that strong or original.

That is part of the problem the film’s stars are all too good looking and affected to truly be believable. They give good performances but it feels too artificial. Which is also the problem with the film.

It tried too hard to be whimsical and quirky. That it goes over the top and becomes not only annoying but it also comes off as false and pretentious. A cute crowd pleaser with a dash of tragedy. Especially with the ghost character seems a little thrown in just to stay weird.

A film where it takes death and near death to teach a depressed teenage character to enjoy and appreciate life. While also being a story of first love.

This film is obviously heavily influenced by the film HAROLD & MAUDE. The film comes off as a bad reimagining only with. It as much humor and replacing a geriatric woman for a cute active teenager.

Other then the cinematography. The only other thing about the film that is of note is the performance of Mia Wasikowska she makes you fall in love with her and her character.

The film seems to want to feel like a dream. In the way that it is filmed but a lot of the time the scenes and actions feel more done for cuteness then for believable story and characters.

I Waited a year to watch this film to finally be released on dvd as I am a fan of director Gus Van Sant I will say that this film Is very disappointing but horrible just passable. Though could work for a teenager in the love of a lifetime genre.

If not directed by Gus Van Sant. Not only would I believe most would avoid it, but It would be a total disaster. While it does fit his style, but more studio type then his more experimental indie films. He was actually a replacement when Ron Howard had to drop out.

This feels like a young adult novel come to life and seeing it produced by a more family friendly company who try to object any more mainstream properties into the film. To be more audience and family friendly then it ever could have been. Smoothing any rough edges. The story or film could have naturally produced. As it was originally written as a play before being expanded upon. As it feels like it as the main characters stay the focus and rarely goes off into side stories.

GRADE: C