Search - Restraint on DVD

Worth it....dark, sexy

Evelyn Schaller | Davie, FL | 12/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, I rented this because I am a Moyer fan. I was not disappointed. For 3 actors, shooting in primarily one location, it did not bore me for a minute. Excellent acting, beautiful people, nice twist. Nothing complicated. I suppose if the actors were less appealing to the eye, it might not have been as good. :) The only thing you must know, is to be sure and watch the alternate ending. I think it was much better. Just go to the special features. :) ENJOY!!"

Surprisingly good

z hayes | TX | 04/16/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was able to watch this as an instant play on a movie rental website I subscribe to, and the only reason I picked it was because Stephen Moyer of HBO's True Blood: The Complete First Season (HBO Series) and True Blood: The Complete Second Season (HBO Series)was in it. It's a little known Australian production, but proved (despite my initial misgivings) to be quite an effective thriller.

A young couple comprising a hoodlum, Ron (Travis Fimmel) and his stripper girlfriend, Dale (Teresa Palmer) end up being on the run after Ron kills a gas station clerk. The pair find an imposing big house out in the country and decide the check it out, not realizing there's an occupant in the house. The man occupying the house is an agoraphobic (someone who fears going outside) and Andrew (Stephen Moyer) is soon taken hostage by the pair. This is where the fun/thrills begin as the three play a sort of cat-and-mouse game with some psychological and sexual tension between the couple and the hostage. Andrew appears to be sexually attracted to Dale and keeps commenting on her resemblance to his fiancee Gabrielle who has apparently jilted him. Ron, as dumb as he acts, is wise to this attraction and manipulates it to serve his own ends, but there's more to Andrew than he suspects.

The tension in the drama is credibly played out and most of the movie is actually set within the house itself - there's an element of unpredictability in the 'relationship' that forms between the three, at times Ron is beating up on Andrew, at others Andrew fights back, and then there are times when all three are acting all civilized (sharing a meal, dancing happily to some vintage jazz album). It's hard for the viewer to determine what exactly Andrew's motives are, and if Ron and Dale will be content with what is promised to them. Dale as portrayed by the sexy Teresa Palmer (there's a scene where she bares her behind and breasts, but there's no graphic scenes of sex) is the object of desire for both men, and this sexual tension is also well played out.

Though this appears to be a low-budget production, my husband and I both felt the dialogue was well-written and the three main actors were credible in their roles. The only thing we felt was a letdown was the rather cliched ending, but on the whole, this is a nicely done psychological thriller."