Restoration

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Henry D @Henry_Domke Apr 9, 2026 The sets and costumes are lavish, even a bit overstuffed at times. It’s a shame the print wasn’t in 4K, as the visual detail would have benefited. There’s a strong cast throughout, with Robert Downey Jr. in the lead, though he’s not one of my preferred actors. The humor is uneven and doesn’t always land, but I still enjoyed seeing the range of medical practices and calamities from that era. See more Alec B @Alec97 Apr 7, 2026 Boy do I wish I liked this more more. First off, the costumes and sets are totally deserving of their Oscars. We just don't get sumptuous Hollywood productions like this anymore. I wish I could judge the movie on its visual pleasures but the script tries too hard to fit the entire novel into a two hour movie rather than actually adapt the material. See more Jelisije J @jjosifovic Apr 27, 2025 A well written heartfelt human story of a young doctor desiring more in life and discovering the gift that other praised him for when he is disposed by the King of England. See more Nawt W @RT94004908 Mar 28, 2024 In the opening hour, the film maintains such a brisk pace that it alters the potential of being a splendid period piece into a somewhat extravagant melodrama. The unmistakable touch of British filmmakers is evident, as only they would possess such reverence for their monarch. See more Steve D @RT35616104 Feb 18, 2023 Melodramatic and unconvincing. See more Taylor L @RT77267842 Dec 13, 2022 "We are all mere pawns." "Mmm ... prawns, yes." For a relatively little-known film, Restoration has one incredibly stacked cast - Robert Downey Jr., Ian McKellen, David Thewlis, Hugh Grant, Meg Ryan, Sam Neill, and Ian McDiarmid among them, many in the prime of their recognizability. There are glimmers of the charisma that would lead RDJ out of the informal blacklist of once-promising actors that started to "become unreliable". The set dressing is nice, really conveying the sumptuousness of the time when England was still a true monarchy in an age of decadence. But the film really falls apart in two major areas - casting and story. Neill really does not make a lot of sense as King Charles II, there's some pomp but he just doesn't fit the gold-threaded jackets very well; likewise Meg Ryan is pretty out of place in her role (and it doesn't help that the character really is a loose thread in the narrative). At first a jaunty ride through the royal misdeeds of the English court, promising melodrama and laughs in equal measure, the film gradually slides into a disappointing character study and moral redemption arc that is both unsubstantial and unexciting, capped off by a surprisingly cheery king-ex-machina that turns the Great Fire of 1666 into a neatly trussed-up conclusion with no elements of moral grayness. Restoration looks nice and has a lot of faces you'll be familiar with, but it struggles to find an actual purpose. When RDJ is allowed to be funny, this film shows promise; when he's supposed to be learning some sort of lesson, there's less to like. (2/5) See more Read all reviews

Restoration

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