Restraint (2008)

This film was obviously made on a budget but nonetheless packs a lot of punch thanks to great direction and three leads who are excellent in their respective roles. Although writer Dave Warner doesn't reinvent anything, he's written great characters caught in a dark, twisted and steamy plot. Director David Denneen probably didn't have a huge budget but the direction remains classy and tight at all time. He's very much in control and I didn't expect that from looking at his small body of work credited on IMDb.

I was skeptical of the praise thrown at the movie and the three main actors, considering most reviews were written by Australians and human nature being what it is, people tend to hype local stuff. But what's been written by others is true: the three leads are perfect. This is good casting and great acting by each. And yes, I think these three actors will benefit from this movie. Teresa Palmer is definitely a name to remember. Simply put, she's mesmerizing and reminded me of fellow Australian Nicole Kidman in her younger days. She's headed straight for Hollywodd big time. Travis Fimmel, who play the young psycho, is doing good too. His performance is a little over the top but never enough to disrupt our suspension of disbelief. As for Stephen Moyer, he's more of a veteran actor than these two and his role is much less flashier but required a more solid actor and he definitely delivers this challenging part. His presence is powerful, yet subdued at times.

There's very little to change in this film. No scenes to cut, no scenes to add. The pacing is great. The story flows well. The characters could have been a little more fleshed out and original, likewise for the plot. But anyone who likes classic thrillers will have a fun time watching this.

Fmovies: I thought the camera work in this movie was beautiful. It didn't feel like a low budget film at all; the actors were top-notch, and the sets, props, costumes, and effects felt just right--even luxurious, where that was appropriate. (My definition of a low budget film is Chill.) Granted, the movie used a limited number of locations, but it used them very well. When one of the main characters has agoraphobia, there's not much need to leave the house.

All three of the main actors were wonderful. They gave us characters who were neither heroes nor villains, just smarter-than-average people trying to get more out of life than society was willing to hand them. To me, this felt like a Hitchcock film: the characters play cat-and-mouse with one another while we viewers turn into heartless voyeurs and wait to see who is left standing at the end. In fact, the main flaw is that the three characters don't give us much to root for. I didn't become emotionally attached to anyone, so the exercise of watching them struggle for survival became a little too analytical. But that's much better than being bored, and this movie never bored me. And each of the characters had his or her own special appeal.

One of my favorite moments is a little ghost story Ron tells. It could be considered the touchstone of the movie. The entire film feels ghostly--and deservedly so. Wonderful atmosphere.

My only other complaint is that the ending isn't quite clear enough and thus lacks emotional punch. I wasn't surprised by the twist, but I expected it to be presented more effectively. I think a blend of main ending and alternate ending might have been better. I suspect the director was struggling with this part of the story; the rest of the movie feels very smooth and very well handled. But in any case, an excellent film. Considering that it's the director's first film and that the actors are not stars, it's amazing. And the cinematographer did splendid work.

I notice that the person who gave this movie one star didn't have anything to say about the movie itself. I suspect he/she is one of those idiots who goes around "balancing out" the ratings, despite the fact that he/she hasn't bothered to watch the film.

Well I must confess the only reason I picked this movie out was to see Stephen Moyer presented himself out of True Blood. Never heard of the movie before that. Oh, and the cover girl looked good...All in all, it's not that bad of a watch. Considering the number of characters in the entire movie it was certainly well made and keeps you engrossed till the end. Of course during the entire movie I was thinking I didn't realize Kristen Stewart was that hot until I realized later that it wasn't her, it was Teresa Palmer and she's smokin' if you get my drift. If not for Moyer and Fimmel, see this movie for Palmer, she certainly deserves more than a look! I'd give a 10/10 for her, but considering the meek storyline, I'll drop it by 4 notches.

Restraint fmovies. I really enjoyed this movie. It has some great acting and a fantastic simple story that keeps you glued to the screen.

If you go into this movie wanting just some good acting and great characters then you wont be let down!

Teresa Palmer is superb and definitely one to watch for in the future! She really could work the camera and make you see things without uttering a word.

Travis Fimmel on the other hand was very good but I just found that he was trying to be a Brad Pit wannabe (Is it a bad thing?) but apart from that he was 8/10! It has a good ending that will keep you thinking for a few days after. This is what made it a 9 for me. It was NOT one of them "OH MY GOD I NEVER EXPECTED THAT" type endings... It was just a ending that for me was very unique. It felt more like a horror movie ending (In a good way).

This is a movie I would recommend for lonely night in when you want something interesting to watch.

Ron and Dale are a pair of early 20s lovebirds. Neither are especially smart – Dale at least has the partially redeeming feature of being incredibly hot.

Actually Time Out. As amateurish as it is I wouldn't be doing my job as a guy if I didn't point out that as well as being hot she also manages to indulge on a couple of occasions by being nude.

Guy Public Service Announcement over. Back to the review.

Circumstances have conspired against Dale and on and they are on the run. With the cops on the trail and the media highlighting their flight to freedom they take cover in what they think is an abandoned home, only the home is actually owned and occupied by Andrew, a timid British man with agoraphobia who can't stand the great outdoors. Which begs the question – why Australia Andrew? Andrew's only friend is a bird and it appears that his fiancé has done the runner on him, leaving him alone.

Ron immediately takes Andrew hostage and the duo tease and bully him around to fill in time and find out if there are any valuables to take – Ron with his fists, Dale with her smokin' bod. As the external search continues Ron and Dale come up with a way to make some quick cash from Andrew due to Dale's apparent similarity to his fiancé, as they decide they will flee the country they desperately need cash and hatch a plan to get their mitts on his substantial cash reserve in the local bank over the coming days.

But that still means waiting and lying low, and being in close proximity for so long and more importantly reliant on each other to some degree creates a somewhat uneasy alliance. Both Dale and Ron seem to have come from far rougher backgrounds than Andrew's privileged upbringing, Dale quite enjoys the charade playing someone else for a time, and particularly enjoys the dress-ups that go along with their plan. It is clear to all that Andrew treats Dale far better than the rough and abrasive Ron despite the fact she is one of his captors.

It is also clear that Ron is nuts.

As time goes on the tension (of all kinds) builds between the three. As Andrew grows a little more confident – or desperate – he starts needling Ron and suggesting to Dale that she doesn't need to be a part of all this, Ron is himself needy for all forms of attention and devotion and often bullies Andrew to big note himself to Dale and to subjugate Andrew back to his low spot on the totem pole.

Of course this all can't end well, but when the inevitable does happen it seems well earned and worth the trip. I had never heard of this film until I watched The Sorcerer's Apprentice and had to IMDb the name of the love interest, when I saw this film on her CV I had a quick squiz at the few reviews available and decided to track it down.

Now that I have seen it I urge others to do the same. This is nothing like the cheesy exploitative "I know what you did last Summer" DVD cover would suggest, it is a high quality taut thriller, featuring solid performances and a pretty good plot.

And yes the chick is still unbelievably hot.

Final Rating – 7.5 / 10. A great little Aussie thriller, worthy of far more attention than it obviously received.

Fabulous-looking movie. Cinematographer Simon Duggan obviously has a soft spot for the slow, back-lit dance of smoke, dust, dirt, and fog. What he does with airy nothing and a little light would grace any big-budget movie and does wonders to set the mood for this elegant character drama: the way the helicopter's searchlight filters through the trees at night, the trail of gravel left by a speeding vintage Mercedes, the morning fog lifting in slow motion, and endless curls of cigarette smoke gracefully set the pace for most scenes. Without making a big fuss about it, director David Denneen has created a small world that feels old school and fresh at the same time. But "Restraint" is not only an elegant, but also a sexy movie, mostly thanks to newcomer Teresa Palmer. She plays Dale, a quick-witted girl torn between her murderous lover and his handsome hostage, as well as between her low-life self and the assumed identity of the hostage's fiancée. Strange as it may sound, there's real class in the way she parades naked in front of a guy duct-taped to the bathtub faucet. The plot requires the occasional leap of faith and doesn't get any more plausible as it unfolds, but the suspense rarely subsides and the ending is a gem. Make sure you see this on a big screen.