Rental Family – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Rental Family – Life so Temporary: It is More Than a Gig

Life is a marker of trials and tribulations.  Through all that we come to face, it is the honest reflection of our everyday that makes everything worth it.  Looking at these stories, it is the uncertainty that unfolds that grip our hearts, leading to amazing escapes … especially in film.  In this review, I look at the latest drama to hit cinemas.  Through a catalyst of unique situations, Rental Family is an amazing journey of what it means to play more than a role … and live.

When an American actor struggles to find his place in Japan, his life is forever changed when he picks up an unusual gig.  Stories of life bring together a personal touch in the rapture of moments.  With films about life, there is a juggling act of building self-expression and reflecting on a character’s guise.  With this film, it is a life drama that brings about a unique situation that showcases an endearing reflection of human worth.  You come into this film through the drop-in method, finding yourself following Phillip Vanderploeg (Brendan Fraser), an actor who has been living in Tokyo for several years.  Through various gigs, he has been trying to restart his career, hoping to find something that would bring purpose back to his life.  After a few scenes of general conversations and dry humor moments, Phillip picks up a gig at an agency that ‘rents’ out actors to fill a place in people’s lives.  After a rocky start (in his new job), Phillip begins to settle into this ‘acting’ role, finding that these unique circumstances are a lot more than what it seems.  As things unfold, the drama becomes more than just a fish out of water story, it evolves into a sequence of events that showcases why this film is a step above a tale about life:

The Heart of Relationships

As Phillip becomes engrained in people’s lives through the filling of a lost void, what is surreal evolves into a unique build of characterization.  As he fills roles as a husband, father or life companion, each situation becomes a reflection of one’s own flaws.  From child-like innocence to an aging of memories, Phillip becomes a man who is slowly building genuine connections while struggling with the fact that he is acting in temporary roles.  There is heart in each of these relationships, a layering of connection that reflects on a human and cultural level.  The flow of conversations that grounds in an authentic grip is a testament to the great direction and script.

Retrospective of Growth

The flow of conversations leads to a window of raw human connection.  This comes through the slow build directive, creating scenes of authentic moments through the adaptation of the unknown.  As you see Phillip juggle between ‘knowing it’s a gig’ to ‘fulfilling the individual’s wish’, it is these situations that move the general foundation of characters beyond the moment.  As things hit rocky situations, it creates circumstances where everything feels earned.  As each character (you can view the cast list on the film’s IMdb page – link) has to face certain facts, it becomes a reflection of what it means to be a person with or without connections.

As each journey reaches a certain peak, it becomes a personification of self.  As Phillip and the rest of the cast come to an uncertain crossroads, we head into a third act of raw conversations and hardy moments.  This leads to a predictable climax, but one that fills your heart with true emotion.  Rental Family is a unique story about what it means to live.  If you are fan of life or drama films, this is one for you.  For me, this is one of the best films of the year, one that should not be missed.

Full Score – 4.5 out of 5 (Award Worthy)