Month: January 2026

Rental Family

Published on by Daniela2 Comments

Directed by Hikari, Rental Family follows the story of Phillip Vanderploeg (Brendan Fraser), a struggling actor who has been living in Japan for the past seven years. When he is presented with an opportunity to work for a rental family agency where he would play whatever role necessary for strangers, he is unsure but reluctantly goes for it. But when one of his roles involves acting as a father to a little girl named Mia (Shannon Mahina Gorman), the lines between performance and reality start to blur.

I had no idea what to expect going into this film. While it looked cute from the trailer, but that was about it. The concept was also unlike anything I had ever heard of before. I’m so glad I went with my gut on this one because I got so much more than I ever could have expected.

As predicted, Fraser is excellent as the lead. He brings a vulnerability and charm that was lovely to watch. He’s hesitant about taking on this opportunity, but the connections he makes not only with those that he is hired to work for, but those of his colleagues at the agency itself ultimately win out in the end. I have loved everything this man has been doing since he came back onto our screens with The Whale and I can’t wait to see what he tackles next.

The film would be incomplete without the strong supporting cast. Takehiro Hira stars as Shinji Tada, the creator of the rental agency. Mari Yamamoto portrays Aiko Nakajima and Kimura Bun is Kota Nakano, two of the other actors. The bond that forms between these three and Phillip is the true definition of found family. Gorman was obviously a scene stealer for me – I loved her scenes with Fraser – and I also enjoyed the storyline with Akira Emoto as Kikuo Hasegawa, a retired actor who believes Phillip is writing an article about him, but who really just needs a companion.

What I didn’t know going into this was that these rental family agencies really do exist. I thought that this was so interesting to learn and I’m sure that the film only scratched the surface. The beautiful scenery and landscapes were a dream; if I didn’t want to visit Japan before, I certainly do now. It really just served as the perfect backdrop to this story.

Rental Family is about human connections and how we need that now more than ever. The various people that the audience meets throughout are all special in their own way. They’ll have you laughing, crying and feeling every emotion in between. It stayed true to itself and will certainly leave a lasting impression.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

People We Meet on Vacation

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Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth) could not be more different. Poppy is outgoing, kills every plant she’s ever owned and can’t stay in one place for too long. Alex is reserved, would rather be stuck in a book and enjoys staying home. When the two meet by chance, they somehow become best friends. They decide that no matter how far apart they are, they will meet up once a year and go on vacation together.

The first of author Emily Henry’s books to be given the silver screen adaption treatment, Netflix had big shoes to fill. It’s the second of her six novels and I remember reading it as if it was yesterday – I was tucked up in a cottage in Canada with my husband during the summer of 2021. The weather was not on our side, but we made the most of it by watching movies, grilling under the covered deck and of course, reading. I was so excited when I heard that this was being made into a film. I’m pleased to report that they did it justice.

Every now and then, when you’re reading the source material, you sometimes have an idea in your mind of who you would like to be casted as the characters. I actually had no ideas prior to the film, but Bader and Blyth were Poppy and Alex. They exuded every single quality down to a tee. As the story was told mainly in Poppy’s perspective, Bader had a chance to really shine on screen and she did. I was already a fan from her time on My Lady Jane, but she’s proven now that she is a true leading lady. Blyth, of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes fame, was not featured as often, but he did make it count whenever he was. Together, their chemistry was so cute, easy and very believable.

One of the aspects I was most looking forward to seeing come to life was, of course, the depiction of each vacation. From camping in Canada, to getting drunk in New Orleans, to a derailed Norwegian plan and finally to the ill fated trip to Tuscany that changed everything, it was so fun to embark on these adventures with Poppy and Alex. I absolutely loved the club scene in New Orleans when Alex woos Poppy with his dance moves, but I think my favorite was Norway (or what should have been Norway).

Another way in which the film excelled was in its comedy. It was genuinely funny. I was laughing out loud on multiple occasions. I don’t remember the book having the same affect, but I’m not complaining. Some of the supporting cast members such as Jameela Jamil, Molly Shannon, Alan Ruck and Lukas Gage helped in this regard. The script was tight, some of the scenes condensed to make them flow better and although they did make some changes from the book, it wasn’t without reasoning.

Overall, People We Meet on Vacation is one of the better romcoms I have seen in awhile. Films of this genre have lately been disregarded; people don’t think they are realistic enough and don’t believe they should be taken seriously. This one was handled with the proper respect and care that was needed to drive home its message. I was left with the biggest smile on my face and my husband even became totally invested too. Now I can’t wait to see more of Emily Henry’s books receive the same treatment.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️.5

Hamnet

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Based upon the book by Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet follows the story of Agnes (Jessie Buckley) and William (Paul Mescal) Shakespeare. It’s the 16th century and Agnes is a healer by trade. William is a tutor and aspiring playwright. They meet, fall in love and have three children. But when their son Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) dies unexpectedly, they are struck with a grief unlike any other. Now more than ever they must stick together to get through this devastation.

Despite not reading the source material, I was still very excited to see this come to screen. As a result, I can’t say if this is a faithful adoption. I am, however, a big Shakespeare fan and I feel like that had to count for something. While I knew more or less the plot and how these events paved the way for Shakespeare to write one of the greatest tragedies of all time, I had no idea exactly what I was in for.

This is without a doubt Buckley’s film. Her portrayal of Agnes was raw and heartbreaking. The way in which she completely gave herself over to this role was a spectacle to behold. Every word, breath, scream and expression was perfectly executed and if she doesn’t get the Oscar then I don’t know what to think anymore. Mescal delivered a performance of masculinity and vulnerability. He showed a range that I did not know he was capable of and I applaud him for it. I was also very impressed with the actors who starred as the Shakespeares’ children. Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), Judith (Olivia Lynes) and Hamnet himself each did a brilliant job. Little Jacobi Jupe captured my heart, tore it out of my chest and then proceeded to stop all over it.

I’ll admit I was a bit nervous going into this. I had a feeling that it would be a bit on the slower side. Although that is true, it did not deter my enjoyment. In fact, there was simply no other way that it could have been. There were no special effects, no gimmicks. Everything is done deliberately and with purpose. To be able to witness to these characters and to watch their story unfold on its own terms was an honor. In addition, the cinematography was stunning and the score helped tie it all together.

At its core, Hamnet is a story about humanity. The way in which it explores grief, love and memory is done expertly. The film more than exceeded my expectations and left me in tears. I don’t think I have ever felt so devastated and yet totally rewarded after watching a film before, but that is exactly what happened. I highly recommend checking it out.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Marty Supreme

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It’s 1952 and Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) would love nothing more than to play table tennis professionally. Working a dead end job in a shoe shop and with no support from his mother Rebecca (Fran Drescher), he decides he will do whatever it takes to make his dreams a reality – even if that means going to hell and back in the process.

Written and directed by Josh Safdie, this is a story unlike any other. If you are expecting a generic, run of the mill sports biopic, you would be very mistaken. That is what I thought I was going to get and instead it was so much more.

Chalamet has proved time and time again that he is a formidable actor, but he really knocked it out of the park with his portrayal of Marty. This character is so conceited, rude and downright awful. As the audience, you know you probably shouldn’t be rooting for him, but you can’t help yourself because he’s just so damn charming about it all. I truly believe that he could win the Oscar for this and I wouldn’t be mad about it.

The rest of the cast do an exceptional job too. Gwyneth Paltrow is back on our screen after a hiatus. She stars as Kay Stone, an former actress, who is looking to get back into the spotlight. Her husband, Milton Rockwell, played by Kevin O’Leary (yes that Kevin O’Leary) is a business tycoon who Marty wants to impress. Odessa A’zion played Rachel Mizler, is a childhood friend and sometimes more than that, of Marty. I’ve seen her in a couple of other projects before, but never on this level and I was quite impressed.

Where the film excels is in its heart pounding, adrenaline pumping story telling. It sucks you in quickly and keeps ramping up until the final moments. The situations that Marty finds himself in are crazy to say the least and at times I felt like I had to suspend a bit of belief. It became too much at times and I definitely think they could have shaved off about half an hour and still been able to cover all the necessary points.

Overall, Marty Supreme is a film that deserves to be on the big screen. Filled with award winning performances, brilliant cinematography, A+ soundtrack choices and relentless energy, I’m glad that I didn’t miss this one. It truly demands to be seen.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️.5