Rental Family

Phillip (Brendan Fraser) finds his place in the world by pretending in Rental Family (Distributed by Searchlight Pictures and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

We all play roles in our lives, to some extent. Sometimes we fit into them exactly as we are. Others, we bend the truth, either to help ourselves or someone else. Rental Family is about a man who pretends to be someone he is not, first for his own financial gain, then because he truly cares about those he is pretending for. It is sweet, touching, understated and never manipulative.

It is surprisingly devoid of melodrama, relying on the likability of its protagonist and the relatability of his emotional journey. It also uses Japan as an important supporting character, treating the country with respect and a sense of discovery. This is the definition of a feel-good movie. It is all the better because it doesn’t push its audience to feel a certain way. We don’t need to hear speeches about how making people happy changes him. It trusts the story to work its magic. Occasionally, a movie, even a fictional one, can help you realize the human capacity for kindness. It is a very enjoyable experience.

Phillip is an American living alone in Japan as an actor. When the roles dry up, he is offered a strange opportunity: people will pay for someone to temporarily play a part in their lives. A father, husband, friend, mistress; whatever the client needs. The unexpected connections that come with the job change Phillip’s outlook on life.

Phillip is played by Brendan Fraser in an inspired bit of casting. Not only is Fraser a tremendously sympathetic actor who makes Phillip instantly easy to care about, he also sticks out like a sore thumb when walking around Japan. At 6’3, he can’t blend in. That works perfectly for a character who has lived in the country for seven years without ever really feeling like he belongs there. Fraser has a natural earnestness that makes how quickly he adapts to the benevolent intrusion he is paid to make into personal aspects of people’s lives not just believable, but also moving.

Phillip pretends to be Mia's (Shannon Gorman) father

The titular agency in Rental Family (104 minutes, minus the end credits) attempts to serve their clients by filling a specific, short-term, need in their lives. Phillip’s first task is to pretend to marry a woman so that her parents will be pleased, freeing her up to leave home without bringing shame upon them. The whole idea, lying to someone’s loved ones, is initially off-putting to him. That is until he sees the good his simple performance does for the client. Then, he becomes addicted.

Phillip is so selfless, becoming the character they need him to be, because he wants to make their lives better. That is actually where the drama comes from. Can he do this work without getting attached? Then, can he walk away when the job is done?

Director/cowriter Hikari has made an entire movie about empathy. The Rental Family company can assist people with loneliness, grief, connection or, in one very touching case, helping an old man at the end of his life get past his fear of being forgotten. It is bold in this day and age of intense cynicism to make a story focused on goodness, without a villain to fight. The enemy is our own inner worries. Our need to protect ourselves/each other from being hurt by painful emotions. How much can we give of ourselves before it becomes scary? Rental Family addresses those concerns in a way that made me smile. I hope audiences seek this out for the holidays. It is a real spirit lifter.

4 out of 5

Cast:

Brendan Fraser as Phillip Vandarpleog

Mari Yamamoto as Aiko Nakajima

Takehiro Hira as Shinji Tada

Akira Emoto as Kikuo Hasegawa

Shannon Gorman as Mia Kawasaki

Directed by Hikari

Screenplay by Hikari and Stephen Blahut