Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hoppper in a scene from “Restless.” Wasikowska plays Annabell Cotton. (Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classic)
When director Gus Van Sant signed on to direct “Restless” in 2009, he probably had no idea that the film would be pulled from the Sundance Film Festival. He also didn’t expect that the film would have its release date pushed back by eight months either. Nonetheless, “Restless” finally opens nationwide this weekend, despite its bumpy road to the box office.
“Restless” revolves around Annabel Cotton, a quirky young woman suffering from terminal cancer. Obsessed with death, Annabel meets her love interest at a funeral.
Henry Hopper (son of the late Dennis Hopper) plays that love interest, Enoch Brae. Enoch, just like Annabel is also obsessed with death. In fact Van Sant has us meet this character just as he is drawing an outline of a body. This boy certainly has problems.
After the two meet, “Restless” continues in light manner as the young couple grows closer to each other in quirky ways that only these two oddballs could find cute. However, the problem arrises when the audience finds out that Mia Wasikowska’s Annabel has cancer, leaving her with only three months to live.
“Restless” should comes across as a little more frantic, considering the main character’s small timeline to live, but Van Sant keeps it light, almost complacent, as if the characters are completely okay with dying.
This whole “I’m okay with death” story arch is what makes “Restless” a tad too weird to love. Coming from a play of the same name, “Restless” lacks the urgency needed to display Cotton’s terminal cancer. The movie makes you think, “shouldn’t these kids stop exchanging quirky dialogue? Why aren’t they living?”
But for a movie about kids obsessed with death, life is the first thing sacrificed.
Van Sant would have been better suited if he strayed away from play’s complacency and added a bit more fear into the character’s persona. After all, isn’t everyone afraid of death?
While the story is somewhat flawed, the acting is close to perfect. Mia Wasikowska shows that she is ready for a major dramatic role. “Restless” is just a stepping-stone for her to that role.
As for Hopper, “Restless” is the perfect film for him to show Hollywood that not just his late father was gifted with the skill to act.
As a whole, “Restless” falls between the cracks as a movie tainted with a screenplay that doesn’t dig deep enough into the matter at hand. If the movie were penned in a much quicker and heavier fashion, then “Restless” wouldn’t feel so happy, so relaxed, so…rested.
“Restless” opens nationwide this weekend and can be seen at the Angelika theater in Mockingbird Station.
