Restoration

Directed by Michael Hoffman, Restoration follows 17th century physician Robert Merivel (Robert Downey Jr) as he becomes the King’s (Sam Neill) personal doctor and eventually is forced to embark on a tumultuous journey of self-discovery. It’s a promising setup that’s employed to often exceedingly hit-and-miss effect by Hoffman, as the filmmaker, working from a screenplay by Rupert Walters, delivers an episodic drama that doesn’t, to a progressively predominant extent, contain much in the way of forward momentum – with the film’s midsection, as a result, suffering from a decidedly meandering vibe that threatens to alienate the viewer completely. There’s little doubt, then, that Restoration benefits heavily from its often jaw-dropping production design and assortment of compelling performances, with, in terms of the latter, Downey Jr’s predictably engaging work here matched by an agreeably eclectic supporting cast that includes David Thewlis, Meg Ryan, and Ian McKellen. (It’s clear, ultimately, that Hugh Grant’s scene-stealing turn as a smarmy painter remains an obvious highlight within the proceedings.) By the time the unexpectedly epic third act, in which Merivel encounters both the Plague and the Great Fire of London, rolls around, Restoration has cemented its place as a watchable yet entirely erratic period piece that could’ve benefited from a much shorter running time.

**1/2 out of ****