The Robert Downey Jr Film Guide
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The Robert Downey Jr Film Guide |
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Restoration (1995) |
Summary |
A doctor in 17th century England marries the king's mistress, but is banished for falling in love with her. |
Direction |
Michael Hoffman |
Downey Factor |
High. He's the star. |
Character |
Robert Merivel, a doctor who comes full circle in his social status. |
Looks |
Good ... if you like long-haired guys in period costumes. |
Performance |
All right, but the movie isn't fantastic. |
Accent |
British |
Love & Sex |
Has one sort-of scene with Meg Ryan. |
Dies, Gay or Villain |
No, no, not really. |
Other Actors |
Meg Ryan, Hugh Grant, Ian McKellen |
Connection |
Michael Hoffman's Soapdish and Game Six. Ian McKellen in Richard III. |
Location |
London and the English countryside |
RDJ Says |
For the whole debauchery segment, I took a little refresher course by digging into my past ... Wildly difficult and somewhat rewarding ... I just thought [Hugh Grant] was a dick, that's all. And I still do. You know, and that could be something that has to do with me, or it could just be that not everyone in this industry is someone I'd care to hang out with ... I learned a valuable lesson, which is: sometimes folks are dead-on when they say they can't afford to do a movie. They are actually in touch with how much they are spending and how much they have to make in order to continue spending in the way they'd like to without getting in trouble with the basics ... I remember the day they brought me my costume for the feather scene. That's what the costume was, a feather, [it was] quite a bit of plumage. But do you know how hard it is to make a feather stay in place while you're running? We had seventy-five extras in the scene, and there I was with my ass hanging out, out, nowhere to turn. The feather was held in place by an on-site metal coil. It kept getting wet because in the scene I was running and carrying a carafe of grape juice, supposedly wine, and I slopped it on the feather. So they had to hook up a dryer to blow the feather dry. I kept worrying, What if I've damaged my appendage for the sake of a sight gag? ... What I like about Merivel, and what I can relate to, is that he completely admits how ridiculous he is. He loves wine, women, and song. Unlike most people, who the repressed side of them is the wild side, I think the repressed side for Merivel is the diligent, disciplined and religiously driven side ... It's a really great book by Rose Tremain. I just fell in love with the story of this womanizing physician ... it's really a journey into manhood ... that's [a budget of] about 18 million [dollars], it's kind of a big deal, they're saying it looks like it was done for twice as much ... we really did it a different way, we really worked long hours ... As usual, as I was about to start shooting the lead in a film, I was probably pretty close to a personality meltdown a few weeks before we started shooting. And [Ian McKellen] was very comforting to me,and also, I just became good friends with him. |
Lit Reference |
Restoration: A Novel of Seventeenth-Century England by Rose Tremain The film was based on this novel. |
Hot Link |
Official Restoration Site Ian McKellen's Notes on Restoration |
Release |
December 29, 1995 |
Availability |
Released on video, should be at your local video store. Released on DVD in Region 1. |
Foreign Titles |
Argentina: Restauración (Restoration) Brazil: O Outro Lado Da Nobreza (The Other Side of Nobility) Croatia: Restauracija (Restoration) Denmark: Kongen, hans elskerinde og hendes mand (The King, His Mistress and Her Husband) Finland: Kuningas, Rakastajatar ja Aisankantaja (The King, His Lover and Her Husband) France: Le don du roi (The Gift of the King) Germany: Zeit der Sinnlichkeit (A Time of Sensuality) Italy: Il Peccate e il Castigo (The Sin and the Punishment) Japan: The Darkness of Romance, The Light of Love (English translation) Poland: Oświecenie (Illumination) Portugal: Restauração (Restoration) Spain: Restauración (Restoration) Sweden: Kungen, Älskarinnan och Hennes Man (The King, the Mistress and Her Husband) |
Rotten Tomatoes |
63% Fresh | 19 Reviews |
Critical View |
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: Downey is really better than the film, embracing the strengths and weaknesses of Merivel in credible fashion. Barbara Shulgasser, San Francisco Chronicle: Downey, who has had bad luck starring in movies, isn't charismatic enough to carry this film, either. He is still cute rather than handsome, but his signature irreverence has been tamped down, and without it Downey appears curiously empty. |
2 Reasons to See It |
1. The feather scene. 2. Beautiful costuming and scenery. |
Overall |
Reviews are mixed on this one. It is a beautiful film, though. |
If You Like It |
You might also like Richard III (1995), Chaplin (1992) |
Photos |
Video |