Restraint (2008)

A young couple on the run hole up in a country estate with a hostage in tow.

Director:

David Denneen

Writer:

Dave Warner

Stars:

Travis Fimmel, Teresa Palmer, Stephen Moyer

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Travis Fimmel	...	Ron
Teresa Palmer	...	Dale
Stephen Moyer	...	Andrew
Phillip Holder	...	Sgt Paul Widdens (as Philip Holder)
Margie McCrae	...	Mrs. Wynott
Peter Davies	...	Terry Gilmore
Taylor Owyns	...	Angela - Antique Dealer (as Taylor Owynns)
Keith Robinson	...	Mr. Middleton
Nate Jones	...	Tim
Alyssa McClelland	...	Gabrielle
Patrick Ward	...	Andrew's father
Joanne Hunt	...	Constable Blainey (as Josy Lee Hunt)
Mike Willesee	...	Sky News reader #1
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Sky News reader #2
Fabio Nardo	...	Joey's dead body

Storyline

A small time criminal, Ron, has killed the boss of his girlfriend and they are escaping from the police. After killing a gas station attendant, Ron drives to an old manor in the middle of nowhere where Andrew, an agoraphobic, lives, in order to exchange their car. When he notes that Andrew is a wealthy man, Ron decides to get money from Andrew to travel to Thailand. Andrew notices that Dale resembles his fiancée, Gabrielle, who left him six months ago. He proposes that Dale dye her hair and go to the bank with two cheques of $20,000.00 pretending that she is Gabrielle. But things do not go according to plan.

---

Plot Keywords:

female nudity | infidelity | cheating girlfriend | man tied up | tied to chair | 

---

Taglines:

Seclusion. Seduction. Survival.

---

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, sexual content and language

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Ronald's girlfriend gets up at the breakfast table, and tousles his hair, Ronald is holding a glass of milk in his right hand. There's a cut to a wide shot, and Ronald is not holding the milk. There's not enough time for him to have put it down

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Andrew: [calling to his escaped cockatoo] Charlie. Charlie, come on.

---

Connections

Referenced in Best of the Worst: Our DVD and Blu-ray Collection (2019)

---

Soundtracks

Stay With Me
(uncredited)
Written by Elliott Wheeler
Performed by Melanie Horsnell and Elliott Wheeler

User Reviews

Wrapped in golden chains

Fabulous-looking movie. Cinematographer Simon Duggan obviously has a soft spot for the slow, back-lit dance of smoke, dust, dirt, and fog. What he does with airy nothing and a little light would grace any big-budget movie and does wonders to set the mood for this elegant character drama: the way the helicopter's searchlight filters through the trees at night, the trail of gravel left by a speeding vintage Mercedes, the morning fog lifting in slow motion, and endless curls of cigarette smoke gracefully set the pace for most scenes. Without making a big fuss about it, director David Denneen has created a small world that feels old school and fresh at the same time. But "Restraint" is not only an elegant, but also a sexy movie, mostly thanks to newcomer Teresa Palmer. She plays Dale, a quick-witted girl torn between her murderous lover and his handsome hostage, as well as between her low-life self and the assumed identity of the hostage's fiancée. Strange as it may sound, there's real class in the way she parades naked in front of a guy duct-taped to the bathtub faucet. The plot requires the occasional leap of faith and doesn't get any more plausible as it unfolds, but the suspense rarely subsides and the ending is a gem. Make sure you see this on a big screen.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site for

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 August 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Guests

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmgraphics Entertainment, Film Finance

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Color:

Color