Restoration

This lavish historical drama based on the acclaimed novel by Rose Tremain won Oscars for Costume Design and Art Direction. Robert Downey, Jr. stars as Robert Merivel, a gifted medical student of the 17th century who ignores his studies in favor of pursuing debauched fun -- much to the consternation ...more

A superb costume drama that stumbles occasionally due to its effort to rush through a picaresque structure (the production probably should have been a two-part BBC television miniseries), this adaptation of an acclaimed historical novel represents some the best work from troubled actor Robert Downey Jr. He's typically memorable in his role of a spoiled poseur who finds, as in so many redemption dramas from It's a Wonderful Life (1946) to Groundhog Day (1993), that his salvation lies in lancing ...more