Restraint

The smalltime criminal Ron (Travis Fimmel) has killed the boss of his girlfriend and striper Dale (Teresa Palmer) and they are escaping from the police. After killing a gas station attendant, Ron drives to the old manor of the agoraphobic Andrew (Stephen Moyer) in the middle of nowhere to swap the runaway car. When he notes that Andrew is a wealthy man, Ron decides to get money from Andrew to travel to Thailand. Andrew notes the resemblance of Dale with his fiancée Gabrielle that left him six months ago and proposes Dale to die her hair and go to the bank with two checks of US$ 20,000.00 pretending that she is Gabrielle. Along the days, Dale saves Andrew from the sadistic Ron, but the unstable killer is a jealous man and does not intend to leave Andrew alive.

"Restraint" is a claustrophobic and dark low-budget movie and my remark is that it is too long. The cinematography is very beautiful and Stephen Moyer, the vampire Bill Compton from "True Blood", and Travis Fimmel have fine performances, but the hot Teresa Palmer steals the movie with her amoral character. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Aprisionados" ("Imprisoned")

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.

Ron (Travis Fimmel) and Dale (Teresa Palmer) are on the run from the law. Ron is a wee bit psychopathically homicidal, having already killed one man while having another stashed in the boot (trunk) of their car. Ron's your basic timebomb. Teresa is along for the ride.

The deadly duo happen upon a secluded mansion that happens to be the abode of Andrew (Stephen Moyer), a prisoner of sorts, paralyzed by his crippling agoraphobia. The real drama begins when these three meet. Ron grows increasingly agitated while Andrew comes up with a plan that just might keep him alive.

RESTRAINT is a refreshingly tricky thriller with loads of suspense, mystery, and some humor sprinkled throughout. The ending is surprising and satisfying.

For anyone interested, Ms. Palmer is indeed occasionally naked in this film. The fact that she's hot enough to boil mercury only adds to the overall enjoyment...

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.

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.