RESTLESS

Following on from the outstanding Milk, director Gus Van Sant once more tackles a tale of social misfits in his latest cinematic venture, Restless.  High school dropout Enoch is obsessed with death following the untimely passing of his parents, and when he meets the delightfully oddball Annabel at a funeral the two strike up a shy and tender relationship. But this is not your typical teen romance. Annabel has only three months to live because of a brain tumour, and however determined she is not to let her illness define their short-lived union, the inescapable spectre of death hovers between them.

The worst that can be said about Restless is that it takes a rather whimsical approach to the final stages of cancer, glossing over the ugly reality of terminal illness. But then, Enoch’s best friend is the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot who died during WWII, so the film is clearly driven by a sense of escapism from the get-go.

On the upside, Harry Hopper (son of Dennis) and Mia Wasikowska are perfectly cast as the death-obsessed paramours. If you like your movies with a generous dash of quirk, Restless is sure to bring a smile to your face even despite the morbid subject matter. (KSo) ***1/2