Rental Family: A Review (Review #2085)

RENTAL FAMILY

Acting is a fraught profession. I imagine it is more fraught when you have to do it in a foreign language. It becomes more complicated when you have to role play instead of performing for an audience. Rental Family takes a unique aspect of a different culture and gives us a universal story of the importance of human connection.  

American actor Philip Vanderploeg (Brendan Fraser) is really big in Japan (no, that is not a Brendan Fraser fat joke). He did a toothpaste commercial that made him somewhat known to Japanese audiences. Since then, though, he has struggled to move his career forward as the token white guy in Japanese and Korean film and television productions. He gets a last-minute call for a job, one that requires him to have a black suit. Puzzled but grateful, he is taken by surprise to find himself at a funeral. He is more surprised to downright startled to see the corpse rise from the coffin after given a beautiful eulogy.

Unbeknownst to him, Philip has been hired by Rental Family, which provides "perfect happiness" to its clients. He discovers that Rental Family, headed by Shinji (Takehiro Hira) is a company that hires people to be stand-ins for family and friends of their clients. Philip has qualms about all this. However, a job is a job, and he agrees to be a fake husband to a woman who fakes a wedding to please her family. In reality, the "bride" is leaving for Canada with her lesbian partner. However, rather than reveal this to her parents, she goes through the charade of a wedding to a white man.

Philip, both to keep income coming in and in a sincere effort to help, agrees to take on two jobs. The major job is that of a fake father to Mia (Shannon Gordon), the biracial daughter of Hitomi (Shino Shinosaki). Mia has faced bullying because of both her heritage and the absence of her father. Philip is not well-received by an understandably angry Mia. However, as time goes on, "father and daughter" begin to slowly bond. Philip's minor job is to pose as a reporter interviewing retired actor Kikuo Hasegawa (Akira Emoto). Kikuo fears that he has been forgotten by audiences. He is also suffering from bouts of dementia, which his daughter Masami (Sei Matubo) has been doing her best to watch over. 

As Philip begins bonding with both Mia and Kikuo, he starts finding it hard to not get involved to help. Shinji and his main Rental Family employee Aiko (Mari Yamamoto), who specializes in posing as married men's mistresses who offer apologies to their wives, are not pleased by this interloper going above and beyond the job description. Eventually, things start going sideways with Mia and Kikuo. However, everyone involved comes to terms with life, death and what comes from living.

Rental Family gives us an insight into something that I think few Westerners are aware of. The film balances humor and heart, having moments of culture clash while also investing its characters with universal struggles. Brendan Fraser does fine work as our not-so-ugly American. He is respectful of Japanese culture and customs, even if he sometimes finds them frustrating. When Kikuo takes him to his childhood home, Philip is frustrated at having to visit yet another Shinto temple. "Japan has more gods than vending machines", he says to himself. The payoff comes at the end, however, when Philip has changed for the better. Fraser shows us that Philip is at heart a good man, though at times a bit of a bumbler. 

He balances the humor with the more serious elements in Rental Family effectively. We smile when Philip finds himself at a funeral. Once the dead man comes up smiling, Fraser's startled reaction makes one laugh. We get amusing moments in Rental Family, even when the situation should be a bit more serious. One of these for example is at the fake wedding. In Philip's near panic attack, Fraser makes Philip's hesitation and slight confusion amusing. When he and Kikuo go off on their adventure, however, we see both amusement and genuine affection.

The best moments are with Gorman as Mia. She is a sweet delight in Rental Family. Gorman handles Mia's understandable anger and hostility towards her "father". However, as the film continues, we see her sweetness, innocence and growing affection for her parent. This is not to suggest that Masami is cruel or uncaring. Far from it, as Masami does want the best for her daughter. However, we see in the differing views of Philip and Masami that there can be a balance between what her mother thinks is best for Mia and what might benefit Mia.

Director and cowriter Hikari (writing with Stephen Blahut) treats Philip's situation logically. The film does not make Philip a total fish-out-of-water. He has been living in Japan for I think five years and has built up something of a career there. The clip of his toothpaste commercial is amusing in its cheesy manner. We also hear from his agent about a Korean series that he ultimately opts to turn down to keep his promise to Mia. Mia, in turn, discovers the deception when she stumbles onto a television movie that features her "father". 

Rental Family balances not just the humorous and heartfelt moments. It also balances the use of Japanese and English in the film. Again, the moments when characters speak in either language is logical and/or never feel forced. There are moments of unexpected amusement. At one point, both Aiko and her fellow Rental Family coworker Kota (Kimura Bun) attempt to use their skills to help Philip from potential deportation. We get a good twist in this moment with Shinji.

Shinji is also part of a genuine surprise in Rental Family when it comes to his own family. It was a twist that did take me by surprise. However, it was also logical and gave greater insight to his character.

Rental Family is exceptionally well-acted by the entire cast. The aforementioned Gorman is delightful as Mia. Akira Emoto is excellent as Kikuo, the actor who is looking back on his life and career. Takehiro Hira gives nuance to Shinji. He is not a heartless businessman taking advantage of people. In his way, he does want what's best for his clients. He also, however, does not see the damage that his business can do to people. Mari Yamamoto's Aiko can be seen as the moral conscience of Rental Family. Her character, also well played, is a balance between Shinji's efficiency and Philip's caring. 

In some ways, I think that Rental Family does well in presenting and balancing the Mia and Kikuo stories. We have the young and old represented, one at the beginning of her life, one at the end. That idea of the importance of people no matter what stage of life is a vital one. It is a lesson that sometimes we need reminding of.

Rental Family is a delightful film. It is also a moving one. The film will charm and touch the viewer. Our families are not perfect. Rental Family is not perfect either; like all families though, Rental Family grows on you.

DECISION: B+