Japan has a service designed to bypass therapy in which civilians will hire actors to play different roles in their lives. Sometimes that is a fake lover to appease elderly family members or a parental figure for comfort or even just a friend to play video games with for a while.
“Rental Family,” directed by Hikari, is a new film released on November 21 starring Brendan Fraser as the token white guy in one such business. Phillip Vanderploeug is a struggling American actor looking to land his next big role in Japan where he has lived for the last 7 years with no luck. When his manager finds him a job working an acting service he’s never heard of, his life is completely flipped upside down.
Phillip quickly lands a number of jobs, two of which are incredibly emotionally taxing; one in which he is to play a journalist interviewing an elderly actor with dementia and one in which he is to play a little girl’s father. Both the elderly man, Kikuo (Akira Emoto), and the child, Mia (Shannon Gormon) don’t know that Phillip is an actor.
The film features complex and very human relationships amidst the blurred lines of reality versus performance. Phillip looks up to Kikuo as a friend and fatherly figure and feels intense parental love for Mia, wanting the best for her in life. He never had a good relationship with his own father which only elevates the attachment he holds for the job.
But all roles must eventually end and grappling with the grief that accompanies the sudden loss of such an intense connection is hard no matter the angle. Not just Phillip, but all three of his coworkers, Aiko (Mari Yamamoto), Shinji (Takehiro Hira) and Kota (Kimura Bun) struggle with the same pain. The service makes a real impact on people’s lives in a society that still harbors a resentful stigma around therapy, so they all force themselves to keep working.
The cast and crew did an incredible job bringing the story to life and illustrating the complexities the human experience. The whole point of living is to make connections. “Rental Family” offers a plotline where it makes sense to see many different lifestyles and relationship dynamics. No one is ever truly alone if they just take the time to seek out companionship.
Interviews have revealed that the cast and crew have mixed opinions on rental family services and whether or not they should catch on worldwide, but they all seem to agree that there are positive outcomes. There are even similar services available in the states on a voluntary level, rather than a paid gig, geared toward people stuck in hospitals. Sometimes all one really needs is a hand to hold when times get rough.
Overall, “Rental Family” is a beautiful film, both in plotline and scenery, that invites audience members to peer into a number of different companionship dynamics. There are comedic moments and tear-jerking moments that will stick with viewers throughout the film and leave them with a sense of time well spent.
