RENTAL FAMILY
Director: Hikari
Running Time: 1hr 43min
Release Date: Nov 21st
I never heard of Hikari before I saw Rental Family, but I will never forget her now. What she was able to do with this film is amazing.
Brendan Fraser plays Philip, a disillusioned actor who is stuck in Japan, and becomes famous for a really cheesy commercial. He becomes the token white guy who is sent for nothing parts.
He is very alone, sad, and isolated in Japan, but tries to make the best of his life.
At the last minute, he is sent out to a strange job that becomes life-changing. He is sent to a staged funeral, and he is a fake family member. He doesn't understand why he is there and is totally confused by the whole thing. He finds out it's a staged event to make the family feel better, and the person isn't really dead. The owner of the company, who sets up the funerals, gives him his card and tells Phillip to come and see him, and he may have some work for him.
At first, he says it's not for him, but after some thought and lack of opportunities, he goes to the office to find out more.
In Japan, there is a serious problem with loneliness, so many people start companies to provide companionship or other things to help people.
Philip decides to join the company and is sent out to be the token white guy, father, friend, or whatever is needed.
He is sent out to a single mother's home to pretend he is the girl's father to help her get into a prestigious school. The mother just wants to increase the girl's confidence to get into the school, and then the job is over. The problem is that the little girl and Philip form a strong bond. Unfortunately, the bond didn't end when the job was done.
He was also sent to assist an old man with no friends and accompanied him to his family's tiny temple spot, and was there to be with him at the end of his life.
Philip was there for important, big, small, sad, happy, and important times in people's lives.
Even though he crossed the line a few times, he felt fulfilled, and this filled his lonely heart as well.
Brendan Fraser's facial expressions are so captivating and expressive. Hikari uses the close-ups on his face to drive home the emotion of the film.
Hikari, known for the viral hit show Beef, really captured the cold, lonely environment of her homeland in Japan.
In the Q&A, she said that they shot so many things and had so many ways to go, so they just kept reworking it until they got what they wanted.
I hope Brendan Fraser gets some more love for this film, as he did for The Whale.
This film has a lot of heart thanks to Hikari's direction and writing. A director to watch for.
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