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From a chance encounter to genuine familial fulfilment, Richard Tobin reviews director Hikari’s immersive exploration of her native Japan.
From the Netflix sensation Beef, director Hikari continues her established work with a film that marks her return to her native Japan. Turning her focus on the country’s 'rental family' services, the film explores a world in which clients are provided with actors who pose as friends or family for social events, or simply just for companionship.
The film follows Philip (Brendan Fraser), an American actor living alone in Tokyo trying to survive solely through the odd acting gig that comes his way. Shinji (Takehiro Hira) is the Japanese owner of a rental family business who takes a liking to Philip after a chance encounter, seeing him as the perfect choice to fill the “token white guy” that his company requires. At first, Philip is hesitant, but his eventual need for money outweighs any lingering doubts and he takes up a post at the company, soon learning to love the job. Things start to get complicated however, when he fills in as a father for Mia (Shannon Mahina Gorman), a little girl who needs her Dad in her life for confidence, and as a journalist interviewer for the dementia riddled actor Kikuo (Akira Emoto).
The film attempts to explore the stigmatisation of mental health in Japan, and how people attempt to fill their emotional voids through relationships, as well as the lies we tell ourselves to ease isolation.
At its core, Rental Family endeavours to be a story about connection and the depths we go to as humans to find it. Every character in the film, whether explicitly or subconsciously, is searching for connection. Even Philip, an actor serving the needs of others, is desperate for connection. He quickly generates real familial fulfilment from his artificial relationship with Mia, while also turning to the sex worker Lola (Tamae Ando) for fleeting moments of belonging. The film attempts to explore the stigmatisation of mental health in Japan, and how people attempt to fill their emotional voids through relationships, as well as the lies we tell ourselves to ease isolation.
Unfortunately, all of its attempts to reach this level of intimacy come up short. A lot of the film, particularly the character dynamics, feel very impersonal. There’s a lack of genuine emotion in the characters and how they deal with their problems. The dialogue is unnatural, making the interactions and subtle moments in their lives feel somewhat fake.
On top of this, various plotpoints are introduced that don’t add any real value to the overarching story. Storylines such as Mia or Kikuo’s don’t get enough room to breathe, each coming at the expense of the other. The film never really finds its footing as a traditional story or passing-of-time film. Instead, it unfolds as a collection of loosely connected moments that are strung together by chance. Ultimately, it ends up feeling like there are two, if not three, films competing within one.
There is one moment of depth the film brilliantly illustrates however, and it is the exploration into how much Kikuo misses his wife. The ailing Kikuo is slowly losing his grip on his memories and life as he knows it. As he takes a final trip to his hometown, we witness a beautiful moment of Kikuo reconciling with the past and remembering the great moments he once shared with his love. Although an advanced age with failing memories, some simple photographs forcefully bring him back to who he was, reminding him of the love he once harboured for his wife. The film crafts a heartfelt testament to the endurance of love.
As he takes a final trip to his hometown, we witness a beautiful moment of Kikuo reconciling with the past and remembering the great moments he once shared with his love.
I came away from the film with a burning desire to visit Japan purely due to the film’s portrayal of the country. The film offers an immersive experience into Japanese culture. While primarily set in Tokyo, the film also takes time to explore Kikuo’s rural upbringing as well as the impeccable Japanese train system. Tokyo, meanwhile, is beautiful in this film and Hikari captures both the sheer magnitude of the city as well as the quieter, more local areas. The film also really delves into the psych of Japanese people and how they interact with each other and treat themselves.
I was really excited for Rental Family and the narrative it promised to deliver, but unfortunately it didn’t fulfil my expectations. The premise is strong, and there is clearly a great film buried within it; the jigsaw pieces just fall short of clicking together to become the film it had the potential to be.