Restoration
This week on Forgotten Cinema, the Mikes take a look at "Restoration", the 1995 period drama starring Robert Downey Jr. and Sam Neill.
Neither Mike Butler nor Mike Field had seen the film before, and both come away impressed. The performances are excellent across the board, with Downey Jr. carrying the film beautifully and Sam Neill standing out as King Charles II, played as both a philandering monarch and a surprisingly wise, compassionate ruler. The costumes and production design are equally impressive, more than earning the recognition they received during awards season.
Where the film loses some momentum is in the way its story is structured. "Restoration" unfolds almost like a series of vignettes, and while many of those individual sections work, the transitions between them can leave the movie feeling disjointed. Field particularly struggles with the Meg Ryan and Quaker hospital portion of the story, while Butler believes those scenes are important but also suspects the film may be missing connective material that would have helped everything flow together more naturally.
At the same time, both Mikes appreciate that "Restoration" avoids one of the most common traps of the historical drama. It never becomes a bloated period epic. The film moves quickly, keeps its focus relatively tight, and trusts its actors and production design to do much of the heavy lifting.
While neither Butler nor Field quite loves the movie, both find plenty to admire and would easily recommend "Restoration" to anyone interested in history, great performances, or the craft of filmmaking itself.
What are some other forgotten period piece films we might like? Let us know in the comments below!
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0:00 - Introduction
4:57 - Film Facts
15:05 - Film Discussion
30:58 - Reviews
37:24 - Who Would You Recommend This To?
41:00 - Why Is This Forgotten?
44:00 - Plugs
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