Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Two outsiders, both shaped by the circumstances that have brought them together, forge a deep and lasting love.
Restless is a gentle, quirky indie romance from Gus Van Sant about two death-obsessed teens falling in love. The plot is slight and somewhat predictable — a terminally ill girl and a boy who crashes funerals — though the performances from Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper carry genuine warmth. The cinematography has a soft, autumnal quality befitting the material but doesn't reach the heights of Van Sant's more experimental work. The inclusion of a WWII kamikaze ghost as a supporting presence gives the film a distinctive, whimsical touch that elevates its novelty above typical teen romance. The ending is bittersweet and earned, though the overall emotional impact is somewhat muted by the film's deliberate quietness.