The phrase "a restrained performance of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a performance that is controlled, subtle, or not overly expressive, often in the context of acting, music, or other forms of artistic expression.
Example: "The actor delivered a restrained performance of the character, allowing the audience to feel the underlying emotions without overt displays."
Alternatives: "a subdued performance of" or "a measured performance of".
She gave a sensitively restrained performance of the first song, "Ich atmet' einen linden Duft" ("I breathed a gentle fragrance").
Playing Jimmy, a Blackfoot Indian and World War II veteran who suffers from mysterious symptoms that resemble post-traumatic stress, Benicio Del Toro gives a restrained performance, bottled-up passion glinting from the corners of his eyes.
By the finale, it was a weirdly timely narrative about the origins of female rage, presented with an icy, dreamlike clarity and strengthened by a restrained performance from Sarah Gadon.
That it attained a certain believability had much to do with the restrained performances of Daniela Nardini, as a detective investigating a series of rapes, and Greg Wise, as a slightly louche psychotherapist who becomes a suspect in the inquiry just after he begins an affair with her.
There have been more restrained performances of "Le Martyre de St. S��bastien" than Leonard Bernstein's with the New York Philharmonic from 1962, but it's hard to resist the cinematic vitality of his account.
Besides considerate accompaniments, Leonard Slatkin conducted rousing but restrained performances of hyperfamiliar repertory.
(Holden) ★ 'Return' (No rating, 1 37) Anchored in a powerfully restrained performance by Linda Cardellini, this portrait of an Ohio National Guard reservist returning home from active duty overseas is impressive for what it leaves out.
He noted that Smith gave a more restrained performance that suited the feel of the episode, and also praised the advantage taken with the location filming for the monastery.
(His entrance was received with hearty applause.) Mr. Roberts, a confident veteran of stage and film, gave a likable, restrained performance at the preview I attended.
Gretchen Mol, a sensitive actress best known for her Hollywood work ("Boardwalk Empire"), contributes an intelligent, restrained performance in the lead role of Larissa, the titular mom.
