Restraint

Plot synopsis:
Two fugitives from justice, Dale (Teresa Palmer) and Ron (Travis Fimmel), take hostage Andrew (Stephen Moyer), an agoraphobic art dealer who might have a dark past of his own. All three soon find themselves participants in a game of survival.
Before the narrative begins, Ron has killed Dale's boss, the owner of a strip club. On the run, the couple kill a gas station attendant who sees the body in the trunk of their car. Stumbling across Andrew's magnificent country estate, the couple plan to hide out there until the search for them abates. Ron, impulsive and out of control, abuses and threatens to kill Andrew, but Dale intervenes. Andrew proposes to give them AU 40,000 dollars and valuable jewelry to aid their getaway. Someone, though, must go to the bank to retrieve the goods. Andrew suggests Dale do it, posing as his fiancée, Gabrielle. Dale, as Gabrielle, drives to town and twice enters the bank without creating suspicion.
While Dale is gone, Andrew tells Ron that Gabrielle had left him after having an affair with his father and being paid by him to leave; he subsequently hired a hit man to kill his father. To persuade Ron to leave him alive, he offers leverage in the form of a photo that proves he had his father killed. While allegedly retrieving the photo, Andrew manages to lock Ron in the cellar, but Ron escapes and regains the upper hand.
Dale returns and the couple prepare to leave. Ron again makes a move to kill Andrew; Dale, who has been partly seduced by Andrew and his way of life, grabs their shotgun and shoots at Ron, without realizing that he has left the gun unloaded. Ron knocks Dale out and leaves her in a locked car filling with exhaust, sadistically goading Andrew into braving his agoraphobia in order to save her. Andrew manages to save her and wound Ron; reviving, Dale deals Ron a death blow.
With Ron dead, Andrew moves to call the police. Dale stops him by re-assuming her pose as Gabrielle, and, prompted by Andrew, by telling him in Gabrielle's voice that she loves him. They make love—again, with Dale coached to speak in Gabrielle's voice. Afterwards, in an ambiguous ending, Andrew plays Wagner downstairs alone and seems to celebrate, while Dale gazes forlornly out the house's top-floor window.

Tags: murder

Review:
The acting was top-notch, although I agree with the other posters that Travis Fimmel who plays bad boy Ron was definitely channeling Brad Pitt, especially in the opening scene.
Stephen Moyer, who now appears on the HBO series True Blood, was very convincing as an agoraphobic with a past.Teresa Palmer was an excellent choice for her character; she somehow oozed overt sexuality and innocence at the same time.
That being said, I'm really glad I took the time to watch this film.Great acting, and a genuinely unique plot made this film most enjoyable ..
Whilst this is certainly no big budget blockbuster, and I didn't recognise any of the actors, I can guarantee Teresa Palmer is destined for great things and she was well supported.
you'll see) Great film, great acting, great story and a tremendous ending.
This is a good film typified by excellent acting, three interesting characters, a dark ambiance and a twist in the tale.While there are the usual moans about the typical movie style plot extension - where no-one is ever killed outright, they have to make a meal out of it- it is superior to most modern films in that it relies on the story and acting rather than explosions, explicit violence or other shock tactics.I had ever seen any of the three stars before but all three are names to watch.Well worth watching!.
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.
But "Restraint" is not only an elegant, but also a sexy movie, mostly thanks to newcomer Teresa Palmer.
With the cops on the trail and the media highlighting their flight to freedom they take cover in what they think is an abandoned home, only the home is actually owned and occupied by Andrew, a timid British man with agoraphobia who can't stand the great outdoors.
As the external search continues Ron and Dale come up with a way to make some quick cash from Andrew due to Dale's apparent similarity to his fiancé, as they decide they will flee the country they desperately need cash and hatch a plan to get their mitts on his substantial cash reserve in the local bank over the coming days.But that still means waiting and lying low, and being in close proximity for so long and more importantly reliant on each other to some degree creates a somewhat uneasy alliance.
It is clear to all that Andrew treats Dale far better than the rough and abrasive Ron despite the fact she is one of his captors.It is also clear that Ron is nuts.As time goes on the tension (of all kinds) builds between the three.
As Andrew grows a little more confident – or desperate – he starts needling Ron and suggesting to Dale that she doesn't need to be a part of all this, Ron is himself needy for all forms of attention and devotion and often bullies Andrew to big note himself to Dale and to subjugate Andrew back to his low spot on the totem pole.Of course this all can't end well, but when the inevitable does happen it seems well earned and worth the trip.
This is nothing like the cheesy exploitative "I know what you did last Summer" DVD cover would suggest, it is a high quality taut thriller, featuring solid performances and a pretty good plot.And yes the chick is still unbelievably hot.Final Rating – 7.5 / 10.
The film starts as it means to go on, straight into the story with very little character background and very little messing around, the pacing is carefully measured and it moves along perfectly The lead male(reminds me of Brad Pitt) is excellent in the role, as are all the characters actually, and considering its mainly the same 3 people on screen the whole time in a small space it is done very wellThe plot centres around a young couple who are on the run, they take the owner of an estate hostage and then a psychological battle beginsNever saw any of these actors before but would look forward to seeing them again!really enjoyed the flick the only issue i had was i thought the very end was a little weak, overall a very good watch and i highly recommend it as a film that you probably wont hear much about but it is excellent all the same.
It has some great acting and a fantastic simple story that keeps you glued to the screen.If you go into this movie wanting just some good acting and great characters then you wont be let down!
She really could work the camera and make you see things without uttering a word.Travis Fimmel on the other hand was very good but I just found that he was trying to be a Brad Pit wannabe (Is it a bad thing?) but apart from that he was 8/10!
It felt more like a horror movie ending (In a good way).This is a movie I would recommend for lonely night in when you want something interesting to watch..
Considering the number of characters in the entire movie it was certainly well made and keeps you engrossed till the end.
Of course during the entire movie I was thinking I didn't realize Kristen Stewart was that hot until I realized later that it wasn't her, it was Teresa Palmer and she's smokin' if you get my drift.
If not for Moyer and Fimmel, see this movie for Palmer, she certainly deserves more than a look!
It didn't feel like a low budget film at all; the actors were top-notch, and the sets, props, costumes, and effects felt just right--even luxurious, where that was appropriate.
(My definition of a low budget film is Chill.) Granted, the movie used a limited number of locations, but it used them very well.
To me, this felt like a Hitchcock film: the characters play cat-and-mouse with one another while we viewers turn into heartless voyeurs and wait to see who is left standing at the end.
And each of the characters had his or her own special appeal.One of my favorite moments is a little ghost story Ron tells.
This film was obviously made on a budget but nonetheless packs a lot of punch thanks to great direction and three leads who are excellent in their respective roles.
Although writer Dave Warner doesn't reinvent anything, he's written great characters caught in a dark, twisted and steamy plot.
He's very much in control and I didn't expect that from looking at his small body of work credited on IMDb.I was skeptical of the praise thrown at the movie and the three main actors, considering most reviews were written by Australians and human nature being what it is, people tend to hype local stuff.
Most Aussie movies that I have seen, have un-watch-able acting (for me at least), and I usually find the dialogue rubbish - Too much useless talking...
So If I had known this was an Aussie movie I would have avoided it.I am glad I watched it - Pretty good.
There just wasn't allot of superfluous cast and extras, and extra makeup and special effect - this movie relied heavily on script and the main actors - which I think is much harder than relying on glitz and glamour.The movie does have an Aussie flavour to it  maybe that adds to the charm.
I wonder if the "Aussie slang" is a hindrance though, as perhaps the international audience maybe thinking "what does that word mean"I read a comment stating the lead male plays a little like BRAD PIT - I agree there, but it's kinda cool.Truthfully I was surprised.
_ this movie is a suspense thrillerI felt edgy watching it - thinking what's going to happen next.
Also the movie stirred up a feeling of anger against one of the characters (Not actor - the acting was good).
The smalltime criminal Ron (Travis Fimmel) has killed the boss of his girlfriend and striper Dale (Teresa Palmer) and they are escaping from the police.
After killing a gas station attendant, Ron drives to the old manor of the agoraphobic Andrew (Stephen Moyer) in the middle of nowhere to swap the runaway car.
"Restraint" is a claustrophobic and dark low-budget movie and my remark is that it is too long.
The cinematography is very beautiful and Stephen Moyer, the vampire Bill Compton from "True Blood", and Travis Fimmel have fine performances, but the hot Teresa Palmer steals the movie with her amoral character.
Another Austrailian movie with great acting and strong story.
This movie holds true to the current pattern of Strong acting, keen direction and quality stories.This particular movie has been done before with the hot girl and 2 men fighting over a position of power over her.
I was impressed on how the movie built momentum towards a interesting conclusion.The violence and sex were extremely well acted and served a purpose in establishing the nature of the 3 central characters.
I think the director followed the formula to a tee and it paid off.I would highly recommend this film to fans of suspense and drama who don't mind a bit of the rough stuff..
There are a lot of "geeze I did NOT expect that to happen" moments right from the beginning and every character is finely cast so you are completely invested in the story.
Fab movie if you want a quiet evening watching a good thriller drama..
Whileit was interesting, it was not tense or terrifying.Drama was a little on the slow side and mystery was not present.So what made this a good movie?
I don't exactly know.I just know that it kept my attention and after watching 25 movies in 3 days that doing such a feat is hard.I guess it was steady pacing.Well that, a naked woman and a semi unique twist at the end...but I figured it out way before, still I enjoyed it.A few plot flaws,but I'm too tired to type them out now.It's a Saturday afternoon movie and it's not a waste of tie..
In case you aren't aware, it has now become standard practice for individuals with a vested interest in low budget movies to talk them up on sites like this in the hope that the public will pay money to watch them at the cinema or on DVD.Ask yourself this: why would these people need to generate favorable publicity for a movie when a good movie will generate its own favorable publicity through word of mouth?
In case you aren't aware, it has now become standard practice for individuals with a vested interest in low budget movies to talk them up on sites like this in the hope that the public will pay money to watch them at the cinema or on DVD.Ask yourself this: why would these people need to generate favorable publicity for a movie when a good movie will generate its own favorable publicity through word of mouth?
I see great things happening in the future for these actors, you wait and see!!!!Check out the alternate ending and the interviews on the DVD VERY COOL!!!!I look forward to seeing more from these actors!.
It just goes to show what innovative filmmakers can do with a few well-chosen locations, an old country house, three good actors and a clever script."Restraint" works with simple ingredients, a guy and girl on the run from the law end up in an isolated house in the country.
But all is not as it seems and as the story unfolds, we find ourselves watching a film that Hitchcock or Polanski may not have disowned.Teresa Palmer and Travis Fimmel play the two fugitives, Dale and Ron. Impulsive Ron is the type of guy who always brings trouble to himself and those around him.
His girlfriend Dale has experienced the rougher side of life, but when they take prisoner the wealthy, but disturbed Andrew, played by Stephen Moyer, she responds to a chance at a classier, more sophisticated way of life.
In order to get their hands on a large sum of money, Ron allows Andrew to coach Dale to play a role.
It's another brilliant touch in a story that constantly shifts things around.Each of the three stars brings something to the party, but by the end, Teresa Palmer burns up the screen.
Aussie thrillers rarely hold back on the nudity and sex scenes and "Restraint" is no exception; Teresa Palmer's understated approach gives impact to a number of hot scenes with both men.
The ending is interesting but leaves some questions open.Restrained is an effective movie.
Overall a good effort that needed more story, more settings, more characters..
The characters are very layered and oftentimes emotionally raw and the actors are definitely up to the task.Travis Fimmel is great as Ron being both violent and manipulative but also playful and even sympathetic.
Stephen Moyer is also great as Andrew being a fearful victim that as time goes by becomes more bold with his captors.
Both definitely brought the characters to life.Teresa Palmer as Dale had the most challenging role.
Dale (Teresa Palmer) and Ron (Travis Fimmel), a runaway couple being sought after for murder hide out with the reclusive agoraphobic Andrew (Stephen Moyer), who lives alone in a villa living off a fund set up by his parents.
Meanwhile he initiates a psychological battle, which slowly causes ruptures in Dale's and Ron's relationship...A high tension thriller complemented by some crisp acting and strong characters.
Throwing together three amoral people gave the necessary backbone to create a tense atmosphere, while the beautiful Teresa Palmer keeps male audiences interested by showing off a lot of skin.
The script is also rather rudimentary, which need not be detrimental, but given the capability to keep interest on high levels for ninety it would be beneficial to either cut runtime or add some side occurrences to beef up the story.In the end it is a rather good movie, but falters by not being able to keep you involved for the long run.
Its plot seems simple, with a young couple on the run from the police invading a man's home and holding him hostage.
Teresa Palmer is beautiful and brings a note of vulnerability to the movie.
Stephen Moyer's character is the most dynamic, as he makes Andrew's agoraphobia believable.
Nate Jones provides most of the movie's excitement, but at times his character is a bit over the top.Restraint is still a solid thriller, even though it's a few years old, now.
I watched this movie solely for Teresa Palmer's presence.
The aura, the ambiance, the climate - it was fantastically dark, intriguing and kept me in the chair glued to the screen close to believing the bad movies days are ended.
But special credits go to Travis Fimmel and Teresa Palmer - those two newcomers have great and bright future and I cannot wait to see their next characters.I do recommend that movie to everyone who can remember the beauty of the camera in Bram Stoker's Dracula or miss those days when even 'action-thriller' needed to have that spark in it without reaching for chainsaw and flooding the theater with ketchup..
This is an excellent thriller movie to watch.
The boyfriend who plays Ron in the movie is an excellent actor as well as the girl who plays Dale.
Not great performances by the cast.It was a clever move by Ron to give Dale the gun unloaded and then put the bag over Andrew's head, forcing her to have to make a decision.
restraint 2008 is a terrible film all those positive reviews are fake the story,acting is no different then any C grade film releasing direct on internet.this was shot around 2005 and got delayed after viewing this i said to myself why did i bother watching this trash film it should have never been released the only reason i saw this was Teresa Palmer boobs yes that is the only good thing this film offers she is naked for a few moments and looks stunning on bed & shower scene besides her this film is junk.i have my opinion of this film i am not a critic i have to warn others that please do not waste your money & cash on this trash.the plot is about a criminal man and a woman on the run from law who take a rich man hostage in his own manor.there is a lot of Cringe worthy acting display can be seen here the male lead bad guy sucked he was totally overacting,the story is usual we have all seen before predictable with same old twists its all about money & stealing in these types of films IMDb is full of movies like these Hollywood in 80s & 90s did it before still a lot of films do it even in mainstream cinema those soft core porn films of Shannon Tweed are examples still whole world copies them its done get moving it is same plot repeated its been decades this must be stopped.these filmmakers try to shove down nonsense like this down our throats promoting the idea that murder & cheating is right.Restraint 2008 is a garbage film it has nothing to see not a single good moment here & do not fall for the sexy poster please its boring waste of time and money my rating is 2/10:Skip It. If Hitchcock were alive today....
The ending--a bit unexpected, but if you watch the movie through, there is really no other way to tie this movie together.