It’s been a while since I had an entertainment tip. Not for lack of trying. I’ve watched plenty of plane movies, but nothing was worth recommending. Until now.
My wife and I decided to break out of our usual loop in town and head west to Kapolei. And contrary to rumor, you do not need your passport when you exit H1. We made a day of it with a stop at the new Don Don Donki, a little shopping, dinner, and a movie. We caught Rental Family, starring Brendan Fraser.
Fraser plays an out-of-work actor in Tokyo who takes a gig pretending to be people’s family members. It’s based on a real service in Japan, and the movie leans into that bizarre-but-believable space with a lot of heart. The cinematography is fantastic, the supporting cast is outstanding, and as someone who speaks Japanese, it was refreshing to hear natural dialogue from actual Japanese actors, many of whom are stars in Japan. Fraser’s performance is fantastic and believable, and he even does a solid job with the Japanese. (The movie is mostly in English, with occasional Japanese and subtitles.)
The movie walks the line between drama and comedy, enough to be emotional and funny without tipping into sentimentality or slapstick. It doesn’t try to solve the big questions, but it sits with them. And more importantly, it leaves you feeling.
BTW – While Rental Family might make you tear up a bit, if you’re looking for full-blown waterworks, watch Brendan Fraser’s Oscar-winning performance in The Whale. Just… maybe not on a plane. Let’s just say my seatmate was less than thrilled with the grown man quietly losing it at 35,000 feet.
