Restless

A winning look at cross-cultural romance.

The story is likable if not memorable, and the Chinese settings lend the basically ordinary plot a touch of novelty.

The real drama is the city itself, steeped in history yet undergoing a Western face-lift.

This intermittently charming look at East-meets-West culture shock in contemporary Beijing seriously overreaches its grasp.

Would that the film were as interesting as the setting.

The film's title accurately captures the sensation of sitting through it -- stay home.

Writer and director Gilfillan has an estimable biography, having studied at the Beijing Film Academy and worked as an assistant to John Woo, but there's nothing in her prosaic feature debut that suggests this means a thing.