In a world dominated by digital interactions,Rental Familyoffers a heart-warming exploration of genuine human connection. In the face of our ever-intensifying entanglement with the digital world, authentic human connection (as in the real-life, in-person kind) feels increasingly precious and fleeting. Although technology like video calls and instant messaging has made staying in touch with loved ones possible no matter the geographic distance between them, screens seem to have become the default mode of communication; even AI chatbots aresubstituting relationshipsand therapy in some people’s lives.
In this modern reality, the dramedy film Rental Family becomes a tender ode to the significance of sharing our lives with other humans, whether through friendships, relationships or found family. From actor-turned-director Hikari, Rental Family follows Phillip Vanderploeg (Brendan Fraser), an American actor living in Tokyo who, while struggling to land a worthwhile acting gig, finds himself in a rather unexpected job. One morning, Phillip wakes up to a call from his agent offering him a last-minute gig.
“What’s my role?” Phillip asks. “Sad American,” his agent responds. This sets the ball rolling for not only the journey Phillip is about to go on, but also the understated sense of humour at the heart of this charming story.
Read Full Article on Daily Maverick
[paywall]
Naturally, Phillip jumps at the job opportunity, finding himself not on the set of a movie or commercial, but rather at a staged funeral for an actual person who doesn’t seem very dead. Rental Family is inspired byreal services in Japanthat hire out people to play fake roles in their clients’ real lives, and it’s in this world that Phillip unintentionally gets caught up. Phillip is, at first, understandably cautious about agreeing to take on a full-time job that essentially influences the lives of real people through deception.
“We sell emotion,” Shinji Tada (Takehiro Hira), the founder of this rental agency, tells Phillip. “But you can’t just replace someone in your life,” Phillip asserts. Shinji reassures him that he doesn’t exactly have tobethat person: “You just have to help clients connect to what’s missing.” When Phillip is finally persuaded, he winds up playing the part of a video-gaming friend, a decoy groom, a journalist, and even a father.
It’s on these latter two roles that the movie lays its focus, raising questions around the morality of lying to a child about being their absent father, as well as asking where one draws the line between playing pretend and being responsible for a person’s emotional fulfilment. Although these appear to promise an intriguing narrative depth, the film unfortunately glosses over the tensions it poses through its themes, opting instead to home in on sentimentality. Rental Family tends to have a rushed, unevenly paced development between Phillip and the characters he’s been hired to accompany, primarily in his role as a father to the young girl Mia (Shannon Mahina Gorman).
Mia meets this new “father” figure with expected hostility and distrust. Yet, within a couple of scenes they seem to have suddenly overcome that apprehension, making their heartwarming – though predictable – arc feel unearned and possibly even unrewarding to the audience. However, that downfall is easily forgiven, because it’s Phillip’s bond with an ageing Japanese actor, Kikuo Hasegawa (Akira Emoto), that packs the film’s real punch. It’s through this connection, and its consequences, that Rental Family delivers its refreshing voice, especially through Phillip’s characterisation and how he navigates his experiences in Japan.
[/paywall]
