Restoration

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Sam Neill, David Thewlis, Polly Walker, Meg Ryan, Ian McKellen, Hugh Grant, Ian McDiarmid
Directed by: Michael Hoffman
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1995

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A doctor (Robert Downey Jr.) is asked by the King (Sam Neill) to heal his dog, which changes the course of his philandering, irresponsible life.

Review:

Tim: Michael Hoffman's Restoration is a good film that benefits from a great cast. It's your typical period drama. It balances the dramatic with some romantic overtures, some exploration of medicine in a plague pandemic, and tells a character-driven story. I'm not sure the movie does anything especially great, but everything works. It's a good film, albeit an unremarkable, forgettable one. It's the kind of film you reluctantly call a success- it does most things fairly well, even if the whole thing feels a bit uninspired.

The film is adapted from a novel, and the story is an intriguing one. It starts with an irresponsible medical student who is whisked away by King Charles II to care for his ailing dog. From there, the story takes many unexpected twists and turns. While watching the film, I was always interested in where the story was developing. I never fully cared about any of the characters, but the narrative is original enough that it held my attention. The film might be a bit overlong, at 1 hour, 57 minutes, but Hoffman mostly keeps things moving, so it only drags in a couple of spots. The story isn't wonderful, but it's not predictable. Half the fun of the film was just seeing where the story and characters would move next. That's definitely a big plus for the film.

The cast is excellent, surprisingly so. However, you also have to admit Hoffman doesn't fully leverage the talent that was assembled. Too many great actors get shortchanged here. I really enjoyed Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role. The part was perfect for him, as he brings sincerity with a mix of charisma and irresponsibility. He delivers half his lines with an energetic twinkle in his eye, as if he's simultaneously taking the role seriously and not seriously at the same time. Downey Jr. is a talented actor and it felt like this role pushed him out of his comfort zone. I think it stretched him just a bit beyond his capabilities as of 1995, but he's enjoyable in the role. Sam Neill delivers a pitch perfect performance as the King of England. His performance has the proper gravitas needed and he brings unexpected humanity into the role. This version of the king is a bit buffoonish at times and Neill incorporates this perfectly into his performance. I had fun watching him in this role. David Thewlis adds a believable supporting turn. I loved seeing Meg Ryan here, although she's underutilized. She doesn't show up for nearly an hour. Her performance is good- it's memorable and she has several strong scenes. However, her impact on the overall film was limited. This is really a small supporting role. I also loved seeing Ian McKellen here, but he was sadly wasted on a role that gave him almost no opportunities to showcase his talent. He's good, sure, but it's an unremarkable role that anyone could have played. Hugh Grant was an interesting choice for his role, but is fairly limited outside of a few worthwhile scenes. Polly Walker felt horribly miscast. She's obviously not as talented as the rest of the cast and her scenes felt forced and uncomfortable. I'm not sure what she was doing here. As a whole, I have to admit the cast looks better on paper, but seeing them all in these roles was definitely a highlight of the film.

Hoffman does spend a lot of attention on getting the details and the technical side of this film right. The movie won 2 Academy Awards- Best Art Direction-Set Direction, and Best Costume Design. I'd say these were mostly well-earned awards. The film is a period drama, replete with many costume changes and the sets were beautifully designed. The film is certainly strong from a technical standpoint and it's always enjoyable to see the myriad details brought to life- whether that's the elegance of the King's castle, the piled corpses during the plague, or the many other locations depicted throughout the film. The production values were strong, so it's not surprising the film reaped the rewards. It's definitely another plus for this film.

While I enjoyed Restoration from the outset, it never does anything special. It's all good, which should be applauded. However, outside of the story being unique, it never really tugs at the heartstrings. I didn't feel any emotional connection to the characters. It's a good movie to watch, but its staying power is limited. It's one of those films I'll have completely forgotten about a year from now. It's good, but too forgettable to be more than that.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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