MovieChat Forums > Restoration (1996) Discussion > Select comments on the film

Select comments on the film

posted 16 years ago by bob-03913111
5 replies | jump to latest

Robert Downey Jr. on what he likes about Merivel: "I can relate to [the way] Merivel completely admits to how ridiculous he is. Unlike for most people, whose repressed side is the wild side, repression for Merivel is the diligent, disciplined and religiously driven side."

Sam Neill: "The King sees in Merivel someone who has a curiosity, just as he does, and who is open to the possibilities of the new age."

Charles II is the "puppeteer that runs Merivel's life, for better or worse".

Michael Hoffman (director): "It's hard to make a beautiful movie that is also funny."

"I was drawn to the journey Merivel makes from being a naive sensualist who's confused and who is constantly getting in the way of himself, to a mature man who comes to understand the value of love."

Meg Ryan: sees Katharine as a "catalyst" for Merivel.

Hugh Grant: "I play the deeply unpleasant Finn. He's a painter, disgustingly ambitious and disgustingly self-obsessed... just plain disgusting, really."

Michael Hoffman: "The road Robert Merivel travels in this movie is from excess to simplicity, a kind of journey that a lot of people are involved in today."

Rupert Walter, screenwriter: "What appealed to me was this notion that we all have within us some great hidden talent, some secret ... concerning what our real abilities or real self is, and you discover it, not in the places you are looking, but in other places"

[–] mensur_sony 16 years ago

Thanks for sharing.

[–] savagesteve13 11 years ago

Hugh Grant by far got the funniest line of the film.

"You must not show this painting to anyone, you must I think, burn it"

[–] goleafsgo27 9 years ago

And, I think cleverly, we are not given a glimpse of said painting, so we cannot get into an argument over its merits. We can only accept that it was likely none too appealing.

I have seen enough to know I have seen too much. -- ALOTO

[–] Darthmauler_megaa 11 years ago

Robert Downey Jr. on what he likes about Merivel: "I can relate to [the way] Merivel completely admits to how ridiculous he is. Unlike for most people, whose repressed side is the wild side, repression for Merivel is the diligent, disciplined and religiously driven side."

That was something I noticed immediately about Merivel. He's surprisingly honest about his motivations - life is hard and ugly and I don't want to deal with it. It's much more comforting to sleep through life (a metaphor the movie enjoys using a lot ). He's not frivolous because he's stupid, but rather because he's all too aware of life's horrors.

"We never win any ball games...but we sure have some interesting discussions."

[–] rockincrocodile 9 years ago

Hugh Grant: "I ... just plain disgusting, really."

Thanks, Hugh, we knew that already.

But seriously - Merivel trusting Finn is something I didn't understand. Both know they can't stand each others. Or is Merivel that naive at that point? Or only hears what he wants to hear?

has a thing for the dude portraying the dude, playin' the dude, disguised as another dude