Restless

The French have a knack for extracting the most from an ordinary, everyday plot. In the end, you get a pretty decent watch—one you might not revisit, but it keeps you entertained for an hour and a half. I’m a bit disappointed that Restless didn’t feature more action. On the other hand, there’s no shortage of suspense, and the film even incorporates some comedic elements. The actor playing the lead didn’t bother me at all; yes, they could have cast someone more prominent, but I got used to him during the shorter runtime. The choice of Simon Abkarian as the antagonist was definitely a win for the filmmakers. I expected some significant plot twists in the second half, but they didn’t materialize. Still, I enjoyed the film and can recommend it. For me, it’s 6.5/10. (03/12/2022)

The lead character, played by the unfamiliar (to me) Franck Gastambide, goes through a series of unintentionally funny situations in the first half of the film — he’s such a tough guy he could hammer nails with his elbow. You almost envy his strength early on. But in the second half, he takes such a beating that, despite the decently shot action, it all starts to turn you off. And that feeling sticks with you right until the end. (03/24/2022)