Restraint

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.

This is a good film typified by excellent acting, three interesting characters, a dark ambiance and a twist in the tale.

While there are the usual moans about the typical movie style plot extension - where no-one is ever killed outright, they have to make a meal out of it- it is superior to most modern films in that it relies on the story and acting rather than explosions, explicit violence or other shock tactics.

I had ever seen any of the three stars before but all three are names to watch.

Well worth watching!

I have been very impressed with the amount of quality movies coming out of Australia in the past 5 years. This movie holds true to the current pattern of Strong acting, keen direction and quality stories.

This particular movie has been done before with the hot girl and 2 men fighting over a position of power over her. I was impressed on how the movie built momentum towards a interesting conclusion.

The violence and sex were extremely well acted and served a purpose in establishing the nature of the 3 central characters. I think the director followed the formula to a tee and it paid off.

I would highly recommend this film to fans of suspense and drama who don't mind a bit of the rough stuff.

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.

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.