Restoration

R

Released Dec 29, 1995

1 hr. 58 min.

Drama

List

71%

35 Reviews

Tomatometer

58%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

In order to keep one of his mistresses, Celia (Polly Walker), at arm's length, King Charles II (Sam Neill) asks the royal physician, Robert Merivel (Robert Downey Jr.), to marry her under the proviso that they never become intimate. Merivel agrees, only to discover he can't resist Celia, and soon finds himself out of the king's favor. Destitute, he devotes himself to helping Londoners suffering from the plague, and in the process falls in love with an equally poor woman, Katherine (Meg Ryan).

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Critics Consensus

Restoration spins an engaging period yarn out of its bestselling source material, brought to life through the efforts of an eclectic ensemble cast led by Robert Downey Jr.

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Nawt W

In the opening hour, the film maintains such a brisk pace that it alters the potential of being a splendid period piece into a somewhat extravagant melodrama. The unmistakable touch of British filmmakers is evident, as only they would possess such reverence for their monarch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/28/24

Full Review

Steve D

Melodramatic and unconvincing.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Taylor L

"We are all mere pawns." "Mmm ... prawns, yes." For a relatively little-known film, Restoration has one incredibly stacked cast - Robert Downey Jr., Ian McKellen, David Thewlis, Hugh Grant, Meg Ryan, Sam Neill, and Ian McDiarmid among them, many in the prime of their recognizability. There are glimmers of the charisma that would lead RDJ out of the informal blacklist of once-promising actors that started to "become unreliable". The set dressing is nice, really conveying the sumptuousness of the time when England was still a true monarchy in an age of decadence. But the film really falls apart in two major areas - casting and story. Neill really does not make a lot of sense as King Charles II, there's some pomp but he just doesn't fit the gold-threaded jackets very well; likewise Meg Ryan is pretty out of place in her role (and it doesn't help that the character really is a loose thread in the narrative). At first a jaunty ride through the royal misdeeds of the English court, promising melodrama and laughs in equal measure, the film gradually slides into a disappointing character study and moral redemption arc that is both unsubstantial and unexciting, capped off by a surprisingly cheery king-ex-machina that turns the Great Fire of 1666 into a neatly trussed-up conclusion with no elements of moral grayness. Restoration looks nice and has a lot of faces you'll be familiar with, but it struggles to find an actual purpose. When RDJ is allowed to be funny, this film shows promise; when he's supposed to be learning some sort of lesson, there's less to like. (2/5)

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/13/22

Full Review

Audience Member

The worst 01 hour: and 58 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

jon c

A superb cast containing Robert Downey, Jr. Sam Neill, Meg Ryan, David Thewlis, Ian McKellen, Hugh Grant, and Ian McDiarmid. Based on the book of the same name Downey, Jr. is a medical student Robert Merival in the 17th century England. Neill is King Charles II restored to his throne in 1660 after 11 years of Oliver Cromwell's Puritan rule. He wants his help saving a dog from certain death. In return he grants him residence in his royal court. There's another angle though; if Robert marries one of Charles' mistresses Celia they must never be intimate with one another. The plague then hits so he scrambles to heal the sick and falls for a less wealthy woman Katharine played by Meg Ryan abandoned by her husband. Now Robert gets a taste of the less glamorous side of things. She and others are the special needs individuals so to speak so his belief his curing them with dancing, music, singing rather than relying on brutal medicinal methods. The costume designs and the art direction are some of the best here. They got every detail of the hair styles to the architecture to the music of the era. A plethora of golden palaces, wardrobe, and wealth. The restoration was a time booming in scientific discovery, artistic exploration, and medicine. But also a big point for heightened, luxurious sensual attraction next to big natural disasters and archaic medical practices. Science itself butted against superstition. This is Robert's personal journey making it through the light and dark. He loses his way but discovers himself in the process. He goes from ordinary to rich to poor. The life he had then lost may just be his own restoration. Fear is our greatest enemy, hope is our best weapon, medicine may not be enough there are other ways to heal people, sometimes the things we love do not love us in return Downey is amazing here. The other players give it their all. The music is elegant. The rich colors are vibrant. It goes on a little longer than usual but it transports you to a beautiful era full of elegance and shine. The world can be healed with more if we give it more.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Landon J

The acting was a delight as well as the major change in our protagonist as he develops through the story. Very meaningful story.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/29/20

Full Review

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Michael Hoffman

Director

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Merivel

Sam Neill

King Charles II

David Thewlis

John Pearce

Polly Walker

Celia Clemence

Meg Ryan

Katharine

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Susan Stark

Detroit News

Rated: 2/4

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Engaging if uneven.

Feb 9, 2006

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…Restoration may not match up with Tremain’s book, but the observation of the corrupt world around Downey Jr’s character is refreshingly bitter…

Rated: 4/5

Nov 2, 2022

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...an episodic drama that doesn't, to a progressively predominant extent, contain much in the way of forward momentum...

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 16, 2021

Full Review

Quentin Curtis

Independent on Sunday

Michael Hoffman's Restoration is a handsome, intelligent version of Rose Tremain's novel, brimming with gilded images and elegant, paradoxical ideas.

Dec 1, 2017

Full Review

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Synopsis

In order to keep one of his mistresses, Celia (Polly Walker), at arm's length, King Charles II (Sam Neill) asks the royal physician, Robert Merivel (Robert Downey Jr.), to marry her under the proviso that they never become intimate. Merivel agrees, only to discover he can't resist Celia, and soon finds himself out of the king's favor. Destitute, he devotes himself to helping Londoners suffering from the plague, and in the process falls in love with an equally poor woman, Katherine (Meg Ryan).

Director: Michael Hoffman
Executive Producer: Kip Hagopian
Screenwriter: Rupert Walters
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 29, 1995, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.5M
Sound Mix: Stereo

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