by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
Sometimes, a great movie doesn’t have to be complicated — full of spectacle and elaborate narrative. Sometimes, a great movie can be simple.
Rental Family’s greatness lies in its simplicity.
From writer/director Hikari (Beef), the film follows an American actor, Phillip (Brendan Fraser), struggling to find his purpose (and meaningful roles) seven years into his life in Japan. That is, until he lands a job at an agency where he’s tasked with filling roles in various lives. That can be anything from a member of the crowd at a funeral, to a husband, to a friend to play video games with.
At first, we meet the idea with the same skepticism as Phillip does. It seems odd, off-putting, and something that couldn’t possibly work. However, after having it explained to him why Japanese people would use such services due to cultural pressures, he decides to give it a try — quickly falling in love with it, as did I. What may seem initially odd to our American cultural ways is able to overcome that because of the impact not only for Fraser’s character, but for those he interacts with. The film does a great job, as it trails Fraser around Tokyo, of showing how he stands alone. He cuts a solitary figure and, with his 6’3” frame, doesn’t really seem to fit with the aesthetic of Japanese lifestyle.
However, once he starts to make connections with his clients through his new roles, there’s a light and an energy that he didn’t have before. In particular, he bonds with a young girl (Shannon Gorman) while posing as her father for a school application, and an elderly actor (Akira Emoto) who feels forgotten by the world Phillip poses as a journalist for. In particular, the impact he has on their lives through those roles is the heart of the movie, helping bathe the film in warmth. Perhaps this is just my own projection, but there’s something additive to having Fraser back giving great performances in meaningful roles like this after (much like his character in the film) being on the periphery of the industry for so long.
I had a smile on my face almost from start to finish, and it’s largely due to Fraser’s earnestness. He just lights up the screen when he realizes the importance of his roles, and I couldn’t help but follow suit. I got just as invested as he does, even though that’s dangerous due to the temporary nature of the roles he’s inhabiting. Because of that, the emotionality of the film worked for me. However, the nature of such a gig (particularly when the particulars are hidden from people in question) has drawbacks, which the movie handles well enough to my satisfaction. In all honesty, I was too taken in by the charm and the warmth to let it sidetrack me too much. The way his fellow colleagues reckon with the roles that they play, and the rules under which they’ve been forcing themselves to operate, handle that particular hurdle in a way that I could accept.
I came away really impressed with Hikari’s creative vision. The script is simple, sure, but it’s bursting with so much heart that I don’t really care. It gripped me and had me in its thrall from moment one. Hikari creates such a striking visual language in the film as well. The use of light in an almost Rear Windowintroduction to the neighborhood helps him get the point across about the character’s loneliness without the use of dialogue at all. The pictures that are painted with the camera, whether it be of a packed subway or Tokyo streets, a late-night diner stop, or a trip to the countryside, make it one of the more visually striking films of the year that manages to pair style and substance. There’s also a standout score from Jon Thor Birgisson and Alex Somers that I found boosted the experience.
The technical aspects help lift another standout performance from Fraser, making this one of my favorite movie experiences of the year.
Rating: Loved It
Rental Family is currently playing in theaters
You can read more from Jake Bourgeois, and follow him on Bluesky and Letterboxd