Brendan Fraser's Latest Misfire: 'Rental Family'
In a bafflingly complacent attempt at comedy-drama, Brendan Fraser stars in "Rental Family", a film that seeks to milk the concept of bespoke therapeutic role-play services for all it's worth. Playing Phillip, an unemployed actor from the US who has been living in Tokyo for years, Fraser delivers a bland and ingratiating performance.
The story centers around Phillip's new source of income: working for a "rental family" that offers clients the chance to play out various roles, including grieving spouses, deceased loved ones, or unsatisfactory coworkers. But when Phillip is hired to pretend to be a father figure to a young girl whose mother needs a respectable figure for an elite private school interview, things quickly become mired in sentimentality and implausibility.
Director Hikari's attempt at satire falls flat, instead opting for vacuous platitudes about the nature of role-playing. The film's tone is problematic from the get-go, veering wildly between quirky farce and reactionary patriarchal nonsense. One can't help but wonder if the writer has any real understanding of the complexities of lying to one's family members, let alone the devastating consequences of such deception.
The film's portrayal of a "rental family" service that caters to clients' emotional needs is troubling, and Fraser's character is ultimately shown to be willing to risk breaking the heart of an innocent child in order to appease his bosses. It's a woefully inadequate response to the complexities of real-life role-playing.
In short, "Rental Family" is a pointlessly silly film that mistakes shallow sentimentality for depth. With its flaccid tone and fundamentally wrong-headed approach to theme, it's a misfire from Brendan Fraser, who deserves better.
In a bafflingly complacent attempt at comedy-drama, Brendan Fraser stars in "Rental Family", a film that seeks to milk the concept of bespoke therapeutic role-play services for all it's worth. Playing Phillip, an unemployed actor from the US who has been living in Tokyo for years, Fraser delivers a bland and ingratiating performance.
The story centers around Phillip's new source of income: working for a "rental family" that offers clients the chance to play out various roles, including grieving spouses, deceased loved ones, or unsatisfactory coworkers. But when Phillip is hired to pretend to be a father figure to a young girl whose mother needs a respectable figure for an elite private school interview, things quickly become mired in sentimentality and implausibility.
Director Hikari's attempt at satire falls flat, instead opting for vacuous platitudes about the nature of role-playing. The film's tone is problematic from the get-go, veering wildly between quirky farce and reactionary patriarchal nonsense. One can't help but wonder if the writer has any real understanding of the complexities of lying to one's family members, let alone the devastating consequences of such deception.
The film's portrayal of a "rental family" service that caters to clients' emotional needs is troubling, and Fraser's character is ultimately shown to be willing to risk breaking the heart of an innocent child in order to appease his bosses. It's a woefully inadequate response to the complexities of real-life role-playing.
In short, "Rental Family" is a pointlessly silly film that mistakes shallow sentimentality for depth. With its flaccid tone and fundamentally wrong-headed approach to theme, it's a misfire from Brendan Fraser, who deserves better.
. Brendan Fraser tries his best but even he can't save this mess of an ending. The "rental family" service is a bit too far-fetched, you know? It's like they took every bad idea from a rom-com and mashed them all together into one big disappointment 
. I think the problem is that the writers didn't think it through - if playing pretend is supposed to be some kind of deep emotional release, then why does it always end in disaster? 
like what even is this movie?! 
Brendan Fraser just phoning it in here and I'm not buying into the "comedy-drama" vibe at all... it feels so forced and scripted. And can we talk about how messed up the whole "rental family" concept is? 
It's like, okay sure Phillip's trying to make some cash, but come on, you're pretending to be a father figure to this kid?! 
What if they actually needed him for real life?! The director should've gone down a different lane and explored the complexities of role-playing without being so... bland 
. Like, I get what the director was going for with the whole "rental family" thing, but they just phoned it in instead of really exploring the complexities of lying to people you care about. And man, Brendan Fraser's performance is so meh... he's usually way better than this 
. The whole concept of this "rental family" service sounds interesting on paper, but the execution is pretty meh. The story just kinda meanders along without any real punchlines or surprises 
. And don't even get me started on the tone - it's all over the place like a mood ring 
. I'm not sure what the director was going for, but if they were trying to say something about the complexities of lying and deception, they kinda miss the mark 
. Overall, it just feels like a wasted opportunity to explore some deeper themes... oh well, back to Brendan Fraser having another miscue 
The writing is also super lazy they just repeat the same tired platitudes about role-playing without ever really exploring what that would be like in real life. I was expecting something way more thought-provoking from this movie, sadly it's just another disappointment 
. I mean, I'm all for exploring themes of identity and family dynamics, but this film does it in such a half-hearted way that it's just hard to care 
. Maybe I'm just too jaded from rewatching old "Friends" episodes for the 12th time, but "Rental Family" just feels like a missed opportunity 
. Like, "rental family" service? That's not satire, that's just straight up weird 
. I mean, who thought it was a good idea to play with people's emotions like that? 
It's like they took every cliche from a bad rom-com and mashed them all together into one big mess 
.
And don't even get me started on the tone of the film – it's like they're trying to have it both ways, you know? Farce one minute, drama the next... It's all just a bit too much for me. 
and i agree with you 100% that the tone is all over the place. seriously, who thought this was a good idea? 
. I mean, come on, a film that's trying to make you laugh and cry at the same time, but ends up being all over the place like a bad rollercoaster ride 
? It just doesn't add up, you know? 
and can we talk about how the writer must have no concept of what real emotional pain is because this whole thing just feels so shallow and manipulative 
. Overall, it feels like a lazy attempt at a comedy-drama, and it doesn't do justice to Brendan Fraser's talent 
. And don't even get me started on the plot - it's like they took every cliche from a bad rom-com and mashed them all together into one big mess 
.
. I don't get why Brendan's character is so meh, he could've brought more depth to the role 
. I'd love to see a film that explores the gray areas of emotional labor and mental health with more depth and sensitivity... now that would be a real game-changer