One of our most anticipated films of year is surprisingly coming out next year. Sony has set Gus Van Sant’s “Restless,” starring Mia Wasikowska, Henry Hopper, Schuyler Fisk and Ryo Kase, with a January 25, 2011 release date.
We have to say, we’re kind of bummed and a little bit surprised. Van Sant wrapped the film in December of last year and we figured the film was a lock for a fall release, but either the resulting picture is one the studio doesn’t have much confidence in or, more likely, they are banking their awards season glory on David Fincher’s “The Social Network,” which is riding an advance wave of love from Sony. And admittedly, Van Sant’s film is certainly a tougher sell.
The film tells the story of a 16-year-old-girl (Wasikowska) who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and falls in love with an off-beat boy (Hopper) who likes to attend funerals and is suffering from the death of his family — which somehow produces the ghost of a young, Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII (Kase) (for real). That said, we really liked Jason Lew’s script which is funny, sad, weird, and in many ways all over the map with lots of interesting tones and tenors. Basically, it’s a Gus Van Sant movie.
If it’s any small consolation, January 2011 will actually feature some decent films unlike past years. Steven Soderbergh’s “Haywire” is tentatively schedule to unspool that month along with Michel Gondry’s 3D “Green Hornet.”