Out of work and emotionally bruised, American actor Phillip finds purpose once more in Japan, as he fills the physical and emotional voids of everyday people around him through a companionship rental agency.
Directed by Hikari (Memoirs of a Geisha) and co-written with new to the industry Stephen Blahut, Rental Family is a nod to a very different far off world where ‘companionship companies’ (of which there are 300 currently operating in Japan since the 1980’s) seek to fill physical and emotional voids within a person’s life for the better. An international co-production between the United States and Japan, we are immersed into the trials and tribulations of living seemingly lonely lives in the densely overpopulated city of Tokyo; where therapy is still societally ‘frowned upon’.
Brendan Fraser plays Phillip Vanderploeg, an out of work tall and wide American whose last role was seven years prior in a small yet well known toothpaste commercial. Aiming to plug the growing financial gaps in between he finds himself as a last minute extra in a mocked up Japanese funeral paying his respects, amongst others, to a man who is very much still alive. And this is where we are introduced to Shinji, played by Takahiro Hira (Snake Eyes) who requires Phillip’s service as the ‘token white guy’ for a couple of roles he has planned within his already well established company. As a comparatively new concept to the western world, this idea of playing a fake part in a person’s life is almost unheard of; though in Asia and also further afield it is commonplace for people requiring the purity of mere companionship. A role originally filled by the much maligned and misunderstood Geisha’s over the last 250 years.
Phillip soon begins to see his recent life mirror the roles he is now required to play. The first is as a stand in husband to a gay woman Yoshie who is seeking the approval of her loving parents whilst being married to her new wife – an act which is still frowned upon to this day in Japan. It is however his two further roles in very different circumstances that provide both the backbone and beauty to this gorgeous piece.
An ex-actor without children and losing his father at a very young age, Phillip is tasked with filling the voids of two quite different scenarios. The first is as a father to Mia, played by Shannon Gorman, his premise – as wished by Mia’s mother – is to act as her long lost father, seeking to create a normal family unit for Mia to gain access to a private school in Tokyo. As a young actor and very new to the industry, the on screen joy and interaction between Brendan and Shannon is something quite special. What could come across as divisive in a western culture actually on screen creates something quite sweet. Brendan – who had been shunned by the Hollywood producers for far too long – has once again provided the wonderfully acted centrepiece to a thought provoking film after his Oscar winning role in The Whale in 2022.
His second main role is as a journalist to interview the retired actor Kikou Hasegawa played by Akira Emoto, their equivalent of Sir Ian McKellan. To revel one last time in his prolific past achievements before dementia begins to set in so he can say goodbye to a special person in his life. Once again, Brendan’s new low key approach matches the feel of the calmness director Hikari is seeking to portray, and it works superbly well.
Cinematic simplicity, when done well with wonderful acting can produce something so delightful. Rental Family as such is a beautifully told piece that brings out the best in every actor be it comparative veteran Akira or new to the industry Shannon. With Brendan set to return in the third sequel to The Mummy franchise, we’ll once again be treated to the action hero we revered 27 years ago alongside Rachel Weisz, proving once again that we are with him, “On the right side of the river”.
Author: Piers, Maidstone Store
