Restoration (B or 3/4 stars)
'Restoration' (directed by Michael Hoffman) is a lavish historical drama that takes us into the heart of 17th c. England, and the court of Charles II; a riotous time of sensual excess. Though the film stalls a bit near the end and has uneven stretches, it is bold, lively & depicts a vivid era in history. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Robert Merivel, a gifted young medical student who ignores his studies in favor of debauched fun - much to the dismay of his honorable Quaker colleague John Pearce (David Thewlis). Merivel is summoned away from his studies by the morose King Charles II (stellar Sam Neill). Merivel is chagrined to find out that he is expected to care for the king's ailing spaniel, but the dog improves & Merivel joins Charles' court -- an astonishingly ornate, yet heedless display of excess. When one of Charles' many mistresses, Celia (Polly Walker) becomes troublesome, Charles arranges her marriage ... to Merivel.
In return for keeping the spirited, unbridled Celia in this 'pretend' marriage, Merivel receives a sprawling country estate & knighthood; though, one major drawback, no sex is allowed. To call their wedding scene unbridled is an understatement; a lagoon is constructed, & Celia floats toward Merivel on an enormous wooden horse while playing the lute -- what glorious indecency {haha}. Merivel settles into the life of a knight - aided by the advice of a servant played by a cunning Ian McKellen. And yet, despite living in the lapse of luxury, he is not happy. Why? Because he loves Celia & cannot 'have' her. Betrayed by an eccentric painter (Hugh Grant), the King gets wind of this and, Merivel is disgraced, banished & falls into poverty. For most of the last segment of the plot, Merivel finds love with an Irish madwoman (Meg Ryan), faces tragedy, but also rediscovers his passion for medicine during London's Great Fire & the gruesome Black Plague.
Rarely have I seen such a riotous, robust depiction of 17th c. London in a movie. The overindulgence of the royal court, the swarming traffic on the Thames River, the streets jammed with all classes of humanity, the delight in sex - and eventually - monstrous portrayals of both the Black Plague {hospitals overrun & a city wearing frightening beaked masks} & the dreadful Great Fire. Never would you think that this grandiose film would be budgeted at a low $18 million; but so, it was. Credit must go to Oliver Stapleton's camerawork, a great hair/make-up team, and Oscar-caliber production design & costumes by Eugenio Zanetti & James Acheson.
Robert Downey Jr. gives a fantastic performance as Merivel, our doctor protagonist who forsakes his medical practice to indulge in the pleasures of his flesh. We laugh at him, with him, & then hope he can rise above adversity in the end. Sam Neill is wonderful as flamboyant King Charles II. Polly Walker is as bewitching as she always is; reminding me of her great character work in 1992's Enchanted April & 1993's Sliver; among other films. Hugh Grant, David Thewlis, Ian McDiarmid, Ian McKellen & Roger Ashton-Griffiths make an impression. But it is Meg Ryan who surprises the most in a role we wouldn't necessarily equate her with.
Now, 'Restoration' crams an awful lot in to its 117 min. run time; to its detriment. Some scenes are more engaging than others; more so in that last section of the film. It also juggles too many tones {farce to spiritual to serious & back again}. Maybe the filmmakers wanted to give the creaky story a bit more dramatic life than it would have otherwise had. But despite that, I still mildly enjoyed this lively, lavishly overstuffed costume drama. And I dug the sweeping scope of the character emotions; particularly those of Merivel, who matures into a worthy man who finds his path during a period of great cultural change. Thanks to director Michael Hoffman, he perfectly evokes a time that must have been fascinating to live in for better or worse.
In return for keeping the spirited, unbridled Celia in this 'pretend' marriage, Merivel receives a sprawling country estate & knighthood; though, one major drawback, no sex is allowed. To call their wedding scene unbridled is an understatement; a lagoon is constructed, & Celia floats toward Merivel on an enormous wooden horse while playing the lute -- what glorious indecency {haha}. Merivel settles into the life of a knight - aided by the advice of a servant played by a cunning Ian McKellen. And yet, despite living in the lapse of luxury, he is not happy. Why? Because he loves Celia & cannot 'have' her. Betrayed by an eccentric painter (Hugh Grant), the King gets wind of this and, Merivel is disgraced, banished & falls into poverty. For most of the last segment of the plot, Merivel finds love with an Irish madwoman (Meg Ryan), faces tragedy, but also rediscovers his passion for medicine during London's Great Fire & the gruesome Black Plague.
Rarely have I seen such a riotous, robust depiction of 17th c. London in a movie. The overindulgence of the royal court, the swarming traffic on the Thames River, the streets jammed with all classes of humanity, the delight in sex - and eventually - monstrous portrayals of both the Black Plague {hospitals overrun & a city wearing frightening beaked masks} & the dreadful Great Fire. Never would you think that this grandiose film would be budgeted at a low $18 million; but so, it was. Credit must go to Oliver Stapleton's camerawork, a great hair/make-up team, and Oscar-caliber production design & costumes by Eugenio Zanetti & James Acheson.
Robert Downey Jr. gives a fantastic performance as Merivel, our doctor protagonist who forsakes his medical practice to indulge in the pleasures of his flesh. We laugh at him, with him, & then hope he can rise above adversity in the end. Sam Neill is wonderful as flamboyant King Charles II. Polly Walker is as bewitching as she always is; reminding me of her great character work in 1992's Enchanted April & 1993's Sliver; among other films. Hugh Grant, David Thewlis, Ian McDiarmid, Ian McKellen & Roger Ashton-Griffiths make an impression. But it is Meg Ryan who surprises the most in a role we wouldn't necessarily equate her with.
Now, 'Restoration' crams an awful lot in to its 117 min. run time; to its detriment. Some scenes are more engaging than others; more so in that last section of the film. It also juggles too many tones {farce to spiritual to serious & back again}. Maybe the filmmakers wanted to give the creaky story a bit more dramatic life than it would have otherwise had. But despite that, I still mildly enjoyed this lively, lavishly overstuffed costume drama. And I dug the sweeping scope of the character emotions; particularly those of Merivel, who matures into a worthy man who finds his path during a period of great cultural change. Thanks to director Michael Hoffman, he perfectly evokes a time that must have been fascinating to live in for better or worse.