Phillip Vanderploeg (Brendan Fraser) is a middle-aged white American actor struggling to make a name for himself in Japan. After an awkward audition that leaves more doubt than answers, the artist accepts a gig at a funeral service to play the role of the sad American. To Vanderploeg’s surprise, the dead rise from the coffin with his face covered in rice powder. Vanderploeg can’t disguise that such a peculiar moment was unexpected by him, and after all is said, done, and explained by his new contractor, Shinji Tada (Takehiro Hira), a cut is taken from Vanderploeg’s payment as he should have stayed in character.
This out-of-the-ordinary moment is a sample of how the dramedy ‘Rental Family’ portrays Japan from a unique light that appeals to locals and outside audiences as it approaches the business that gives the picture its name, where people hire actors to pretend that they are relatives, friends, or love interests, but doesn’t involve sexual relations, although there is a sensible approach to sex workers in the picture. The rental family is a “make-believe” connection; however, the picture directed by Hikari reveals how deep such relations can go, either on paths of tenderness or toxicity, while touching on hard themes such as queerness and neglectful parenthood in Japanese culture. The screenplay was written by Hikari alongside Stephen Blahut.
The protagonist benefits from Fraser’s everyman charisma, which blends his will to keep trying to improve even as life gives him a bad hand. Fraser won the 2023 Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a moment that crowned the beloved performer who had come from a dark and vulnerable personal period, and it is this appeal along with his acting range and skill to bring to life the characters that makes Vanderploeg more believable as a journeyman actor in a foreign land, who is very distant from the matinée adventurer from the Mummy franchise or the scoundrel lawyer from ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ asserting Fraser’s capabilities.
‘Rental Family’ unites a world-class cast, showcasing Japanese talent to the West and highlighting Japan’s cinema culture. Shannon Mahina Gorman plays the child who has Vanderploeg as her “father.” The young actress shows veteran sensibilities, making the character’s reactions natural and authentic. This stands out, as directing children to appear genuine is challenging and often results in performances that feel forced. Thus, further showing how Hikari is a capable director and the good worker that Gorman is.
Hira has a leading man vein that, alongside Ken Watanabe and Hiroyuki Sanada, makes him a successor to past Japanese cinema leading men such as Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, and Ryô Ikebe. Hira can be charming and, in a snap, can be toxic. Another standout from the cast is journalist turned actress Mari Yamamoto, who finds in Aiko Nakajima, a dramatic character in ‘Rental Family’ who, at the start, goes with the motions in a life that seems to be leading to nowhere great in terms of professional planning, but also in a personal aspect. Nakajima represents what women have to endure in Japanese society. Yamamoto is known for the series ‘Pachinko’ and is shining in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.’ She is leading lady material.
Akira Emoto delivers a tender, sad performance as ageing actor Kikuo Hasegawa, a once-important figure who is now ostracised by the film industry and society. Struggling with his memories, his story reflects how the cinema industry neglects those who were once celebrated, leaving them as forgotten names or mere answers in crossword puzzles.
The cinematography gives ‘Rental Family’ a distinctive appeal compared to other Tokyo-based productions. It uses lighter colour palettes while also evoking a sense of loneliness and longing to belong, themes central to the story. The film is suitable for families, but it is not watered down, as it dialogues with films like ‘Lost in Translation’ and has shades of the darker ‘Midnight Cowboy.’
According to the University of Southern California’s (USC) Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, ‘Rental Family’ is among the top 100 highest-grossing films of last season and one of only nine in this group directed by a woman, a confirmation that Hikari is a raising voice and ‘Rental Family’ is better enjoyed in a movie theater, still it can be cozy at home. The cast’s chemistry and Tokyo’s unique architecture create a story that is bittersweet yet comforting, like having lemon ice cream on a late Sunday afternoon.
