FILM TITLE: RESTORATION DIRECTOR: MICHAEL HOFFMAN COUNTRY: USA 1995 CINEMATOGRAPHY: OLIVER STAPLETON MUSIC: JAMES NEWTON HOWARD and period music CAST: Robert Downey Jr., Sam Neill, David Thewlis, Polly Walker, Meg Ryan, Ian McKellen, Hugh Grant SUPER FEATURES: Excellent Period Film
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are films that grab one's attention, and then there are films where one just doesn't know if our attention is supposed to be gotten or not. Many of these films fall into the artsy category, and tend to disappear and not be noticed for much of anything. But every now and then, a film comes by that is actually pretty good, although as far as action goes, it doesn't make the grade.
The period that the story takes place, has a complete theatre dedicated to it, and its affectations. It is called Restoration Theatre, and it is very difficult to do well, unless one is well versed in the manners and styles of the age. The film takes its cue from the its settings, and never lets it go. And this is rare in film making. One could easily fall for the sentimental story, or the period's affectations and its silly ways. Instead one keeps finding out more about the time and what went on.
Unfortunately ( for the main character ) in the middle of all this, a story is born and he has to live with it.
This is the story of the period, before it really is the story of a certain Meryvel, who does not care for his job and work in the medical field. He finds it boring, and not pleasing, not to mention that it ruins much of his social life. As it happens, he develops a new style of healing based on his intuition, and this gets him to the king's chambers. Here he is asked to cure one of the king's favorite pets, a dog. And of course, Meryvel, has no idea what he did, but somehow his way ( not bleeding the patient ) happens to help cure the animal which places Meryvel in the king's favor.
As time goes by, the king decides to use Meryvel. He will marry him off to his mistress, with the agreement that he will not bother her, spend time with her, and so on. But there is a larger sub-plot, that will eventually change the course of the film from where it is to another place. It is the plague that is beginning to foster in London, and Charles II has not figured out how to deal with it. He was too worried about his new city instead of taking the advise of his inferiors to create sewers and water mains.
Meryvel, finds that he is attracted to the King's mistress, even if she is not interested in him at all. And a court painter is brought in to paint the lady, and he is held up so that Meryvel can try to convince the mistress. Alas, the painter is also one of the king's stool pigeons, and eventually the little story is found out, and Meryvel has to leave, and does.
He ends up in a Quaker convent, where his brother is the medic. But his brother's ways are the old ones and his efficiency is not evident. Meryvel promptly suggests a few changes, and in the course of affecting one of them, he ends up meeting a woman that is there. She appears crazy, but apparently is not, and he does not see the point in bleeding any patients. Eventually they come together and she gets pregnant. This is not good for the convent and they both have to leave. And they are both in the middle of the London plague. During the nasty birth, the child is saved, but the mother dies. And from here, the story takes on some rather sad, and different moods. All of a sudden, we do not see the court life, we see the street deaths, and the court falling apart as well.
The rest I won't spoil for you... but suffice it to say that some poetic justice does come about, even though the court's style of justice could be thought to be rather boring, and not dependable... but as Charles says, it's the best he can do as long as he is king. But Meryvel's reputation as a doctor is restored, and he is now a valuable member of society, and one that is important in the recovery that London will have to undergo.
Perhaps the very best thing about this film, is that we do not really know who is who, and what parts they are playing. There are no credits at the beginning, and I find that this is great. It takes you directly into the "play" and makes the statement that the situation and the story is the point, not the actors, and the people that created the film, which, REALLY, is the way it should be.
And later we find out that Sam Neill is the king, Robert Downey Jr. is Meryvel, and that Meg Ryan is the crazy woman. Should one remember this before hand, the effect may have not been the same. All the performances are excellent, and the film seems to be really well focused on its themes.
Worth seeing. Beautiful film, and won a couple of Oscars, the costumes being one of them.
4 GIBLOONS Copyright (c) Pedro Sena 1997. All Rights Reserved.
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