Restless Natives

Lightweight to the point of distraction, Restless Natives follows a pair of Scottish friends (Vincent Fiell’s Will and Joe Mullaney’s Ronnie) as they become local heroes after embarking on a spree of tour-bus robberies. Ned Beatty co-stars as an inept CIA agent with a grudge, while Teri Lally plays the object of Will’s affections. Director Michael Hoffman – working from Ninian Dunet’s screenplay – has infused Restless Natives with a laid-back, easy-going sort of vibe that quickly wears out its welcome; there’s little doubt that the film’s success depends almost entirely on one’s ability to accept the central characters’ casual descent into crime (viewers unable to swallow this are in for a very long slog indeed). Much of the movie’s 90-minute running time is devoted to needless instances of padding, with the most obvious and egregious example of this being an ongoing gag involving Beatty’s contentious divorce. And although the whole thing initially coasts on its free-wheeling charm, there comes a point at which it becomes impossible to overlook the mounting contrivances, plot inconsistencies, and flat-out ridiculous elements (ie the guys eventually start accepting credit cards during their robberies). The performances are amiable enough and the cinematography is nice, but really, Restless Natives is ultimately far too slight an affair to warrant a hearty recommendation.

** out of ****