Movie Preview: Gus Van Sant's 'Restless'

Legendary director Gus Van Sant and Producer Bryce Dallas Howard.

As a big fan of dramatic movies, the trailer for Gus Van Sant's latest movie 'Restless'  looks amazing.  Special thanks to GTBP's own Josh Baldwin for sharing it with us a couple of days ago.   

'Restless' stars Mia Wasikowska, who plays Annabel Cotton, a terminally ill teenage girl that falls in love with a quirky young man named Enoch Brae, who attends funerals and can see the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII, according to imdb.com. 

Apparently Brae attends these funerals as his own way of overcoming the death of his family, which somehow gives him the ability to see the ghost of the Japanese pilot as a result of that tragedy.  The two teenagers meet at a funeral and then proceed to fall head over heels for each other after that.    

This movie looks like it has the potential to be a real tear jerker, especially when Brae, played by newcomer Henry Hopper  , realizes the girl he loves doesn't have long to live.  However, it also appears to have some tender moments and a maybe few laughs as well. 

It definitely seems to possess all the essential ingredients of a good drama about life: Love, Loss, Family, Friendship, Humor, etc.  

I didn't know much about Van Sant, until he made an appearance on 'Entourage' a couple of seasons ago.  Of course, I then realized he's directed some of my favorite movies, including 'Good Will Hunting' and 'Finding Forrester'. 

Now I make a point to see everything he's done, and I can no doubt say I'm looking forward to this one.  Plus the movie was produced by Hollywood heavy-weights Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, so it's safe to assume the script is probably pretty damn good too.

I also have to admit there's a little extra incentive for me to see 'Restless' as it was shot near my neck of the woods in Portland, Oregon, which is becoming a prime location to shoot movies now since 'Twilight' and 'The Road' were shot there. 

One thing you can guarantee is with Van Sant behind the helm, 'Restless' will be well worth the price of admission and may even get some love during Oscar season.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Hopper and Wasikowska end up in that discussion as well.   

'Restless' will be in theaters January 28th, 2011.  Here's the trailer again, if you didn't get a chance to see it earlier.

Comments

[Renish]

Restless is described as the most particular movie directed by Gus Van Sant, though the theme is still about blue and gentle hurt in youth’s growth. The story tells about love between two young persons, one is a terminally ill girl and the other is a boy who relished attending funerals. The boy also has an imaginary friend, a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII. The two outsiders abandoned by the surrounding people are then falling in love with each other. Their love story is blend of multiple elements, black human such as Harold and Maude and sad love such as Romeo and Juliet, which are mixed in persistent light tones of Gus Van Sant, naughty, sad and a little bit odd. The heroine is now determined to be acted by Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Tim Burton’s edition of “Alice in Wonderland”), while the hero is not yet determined. The movie, a recomposition of Jason Lew’s work, shall be shown in the end of January 2011, expecting good box offices.