Fabulous-looking movie. Cinematographer Simon Duggan obviously has a soft spot for the slow, back-lit dance of smoke, dust, dirt, and fog. What he does with airy nothing and a little light would grace any big-budget movie and does wonders to set the mood for this elegant character drama: the way the helicopter's searchlight filters through the trees at night, the trail of gravel left by a speeding vintage Mercedes, the morning fog lifting in slow motion, and endless curls of cigarette smoke gracefully set the pace for most scenes. Without making a big fuss about it, director David Denneen has created a small world that feels old school and fresh at the same time. But "Restraint" is not only an elegant, but also a sexy movie, mostly thanks to newcomer Teresa Palmer. She plays Dale, a quick-witted girl torn between her murderous lover and his handsome hostage, as well as between her low-life self and the assumed identity of the hostage's fiancée. Strange as it may sound, there's real class in the way she parades naked in front of a guy duct-taped to the bathtub faucet. The plot requires the occasional leap of faith and doesn't get any more plausible as it unfolds, but the suspense rarely subsides and the ending is a gem. Make sure you see this on a big screen.

Ron and Dale are a pair of early 20s lovebirds. Neither are especially smart – Dale at least has the partially redeeming feature of being incredibly hot.

Actually Time Out. As amateurish as it is I wouldn't be doing my job as a guy if I didn't point out that as well as being hot she also manages to indulge on a couple of occasions by being nude.

Guy Public Service Announcement over. Back to the review.

Circumstances have conspired against Dale and on and they are on the run. With the cops on the trail and the media highlighting their flight to freedom they take cover in what they think is an abandoned home, only the home is actually owned and occupied by Andrew, a timid British man with agoraphobia who can't stand the great outdoors. Which begs the question – why Australia Andrew? Andrew's only friend is a bird and it appears that his fiancé has done the runner on him, leaving him alone.

Ron immediately takes Andrew hostage and the duo tease and bully him around to fill in time and find out if there are any valuables to take – Ron with his fists, Dale with her smokin' bod. As the external search continues Ron and Dale come up with a way to make some quick cash from Andrew due to Dale's apparent similarity to his fiancé, as they decide they will flee the country they desperately need cash and hatch a plan to get their mitts on his substantial cash reserve in the local bank over the coming days.

But that still means waiting and lying low, and being in close proximity for so long and more importantly reliant on each other to some degree creates a somewhat uneasy alliance. Both Dale and Ron seem to have come from far rougher backgrounds than Andrew's privileged upbringing, Dale quite enjoys the charade playing someone else for a time, and particularly enjoys the dress-ups that go along with their plan. It is clear to all that Andrew treats Dale far better than the rough and abrasive Ron despite the fact she is one of his captors.

It is also clear that Ron is nuts.

As time goes on the tension (of all kinds) builds between the three. As Andrew grows a little more confident – or desperate – he starts needling Ron and suggesting to Dale that she doesn't need to be a part of all this, Ron is himself needy for all forms of attention and devotion and often bullies Andrew to big note himself to Dale and to subjugate Andrew back to his low spot on the totem pole.

Of course this all can't end well, but when the inevitable does happen it seems well earned and worth the trip. I had never heard of this film until I watched The Sorcerer's Apprentice and had to IMDb the name of the love interest, when I saw this film on her CV I had a quick squiz at the few reviews available and decided to track it down.

Now that I have seen it I urge others to do the same. This is nothing like the cheesy exploitative "I know what you did last Summer" DVD cover would suggest, it is a high quality taut thriller, featuring solid performances and a pretty good plot.

And yes the chick is still unbelievably hot.

Final Rating – 7.5 / 10. A great little Aussie thriller, worthy of far more attention than it obviously received.

Ron and Dale are lovers/fugitives on the run who decide to take reclusive shut-in Andrew hostage when their plan to make a run for the border goes south. Quick thinking, but jealous Ron comes up with a new plan to get some of Andrews money. But fate has other things in store for the unlikely threesome. I found this to be a pretty atmospheric little thriller. A bit claustrophobic, but in a good way. It's also very well acted by the three leads and aside from a few pitfalls and an ending that's easily enough to deduce, I enjoyed the film

Eye Candy: Teresa Palmer provides the T&A quotient

My Grade: B

Lionsgate DVD Extras: An 8 minute, 15 second making-of featurette; an alternate ending; interviews with David Denneen, Anna Fawcett, Travis Fimmel, Teresa Palmer & Stephen Moyer; trailer for this film; and trailers for Bangkok Dangerous, the Spirit, Kitchen Privilages, Dracula's Guest, & Raising Jeffrey Dahmer