By Susan Granger
“Rental Family” proves once again that movies open portals of knowledge about other cultures. Who knew that in Japan there are ‘rental family’ services? A client in Tokyo can hire a performer, usually an out-of-work actor, to play a character in his/her or someone else’s life.
When American ex-pat Philip Vandarploeug (Brendan Fraser) is first interviewed by Shinji (Takehiro Hira of “Shogun”) for the job, he doesn’t believe it either. But, apparently, there’s still a stigma in Japan about seeking psychological therapy so Shinji’s staff function as mental health professionals – and “We need a token white guy,” he explains.
Philip’s first gig involves impersonating a ‘sad American’ attending an elderly man’s ‘staged’ funeral. The client isn’t dead but he’s stretched out, eyes closed, in an ornate open casket while friends and family extol and mourn him. Bizarre!
Then Philip is hired to play the Canadian groom in a marriage ceremony with a young bride who wants to placate her traditional family before running away with her lesbian lover.
Testing his adaptability, a woman hires Philip to play a journalist interviewing her depressed father, Kikuo (Akira Ernoto), an aging movie star, helping him recall the pivotal events of his youth.
Perhaps the most poignant ‘role’ Philip plays is that of a long-lost father to 11 year-old biracial Mia (Shannon Gorman) in order to get her into a prestigious private school – because compassionate Philip, understandably, has trouble separating his feelings from his professional obligations.
Meanwhile, one of Philip’s co-workers, Aiko (Mari Yamamoto), is often abused when she’s hired to play a femme fatale who must abjectly apologize to the betrayed wives of her unfaithful clients.
Co-writing with Stephen Blahut, Osaka-born director Hikari delivers an insightful glimpse into loneliness in a foreign culture. Yet what distinguishes this dramedy is soft-spoken Brendan Fraser’s sensitive performance, recalling why he won an Oscar for “The Whale” (2022).
FYI: Werner Herzog made a semi-documentary – “Family Romance, LLC” – on the same subject in 2019.
In English and Japanese – with subtitles – on the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Rental Family” is a bittersweet 8, playing in theaters.
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Susan Granger
Westport resident Susan Granger grew up in Hollywood, studied journalism with Pierre Salinger at Mills College and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in Journalism. In addition to writing for newspapers and magazines, she has appeared on radio and television as an anchorwoman and movie critic for many years. Read all her reviews at susangranger.com.
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