The wantonly immature impulses of a thoroughly repellant woman drive the plot of “Restraining Order,” before driving the movie right into the ground. With Robin Givens carrying the load of one of the more indigestible roles in recent American indie film, pic thoughtlessly examines the emotional price paid when a greedy, self-centered and envious wife alienates her husband to the point that he’s ready to kill himself. Same story outline could be imagined working well in Japanese cinema with its psycho-suicide tradition, but among contempo Angelenos, it comes off as absurd. Commercial prospects are equally hopeless.
Out of nowhere, Diane (Givens), long married to blue-collar Dante (Sean Blakemore), has the hots for their mutual lawyer friend Russ (co-writer-director Reggie Gaskins). Ostensible cause is that she envies his big house, but as far as Dante and the audience are concerned, she’s lost leave of her senses. She demands a divorce, and then convinces her attorney to get a restraining order against Dante. To nobody’s surprise, Dante goes ballistic, leading to a third act stuffed with as much unintended comedy as overwrought tragedy.
