But what is Gus Van Sant doing at Un Certain Regard, a parallel selection of the official selection, which certainly presents quality films but often from young directors?
Gus Van Sant has been among the great directors since he won the Palme d’Or in 2003 with “Elephant”.
One might have expected a less ambitious film. On the contrary, what a beautiful surprise! Restless is a grandiose film, absolutely divine, undoubtedly the best film by the American director.
It is a film that touches you deeply and doesn’t let go for hours after viewing; its imprint is forever engraved within you.
It is one of those films you will remember all your life for how it touches you with its delicacy, intelligence, and the intensity of the emotions it evokes.
The theme it addresses affects us all—our relationship to death, illness, and love. These are recurring subjects in cinema but rarely treated with such finesse.
The story is about the meeting and developing romantic relationship between a young, introverted, sensitive, and mysterious boy who attends funerals of people he doesn’t know (Enoch), and a young girl with an angelic face, radiant and fragile, fascinated by nature and Darwin.
The actors Henry Hopper (the son of the recently deceased Dennis Hopper) and Mia Wasikowska are sublime in their beauty and the subtlety of their performance. The soundtrack is splendid, with very present music that admirably accompanies the film and deepens the emotions.
The sometimes fantastical universe created by the director reminds us of the beautiful film by Manoel de Oliveira “The Strange Case of Angelica”. We leave the film completely shaken and happy, aware of having experienced these rare and magical moments that one savors with all their body and soul.
by Charles Scibetta
