Return to Me
Return to Me is a charming romantic comedy with a difference. It won't be to all tastes, as some people, especially cynical ones, will only see it as oozing cheese and syrup from every pore. It stars David Duchovny as Bob Rueland, an architect who is happily married to a zoologist who works at the local zoo. When his wife is tragically killed in a car accident, his life falls to pieces. His once pristine apartment falls into disarray, his dog won't eat anymore, and he turns from a happy chap into a miserable grouch who's no fun to be around. Meanwhile across town, a girl is dying of heart disease. Grace Briggs is surrounded by people who love her; her best friend Megan, her grandfather Marty, and the various characters who work in his Irish-Italian restaurant. But she is bed-ridden and, because of her condition, has never really had the chance to live a full life. Then, suddenly, a compatible replacement heart becomes available and she gets her chance to start life over again. A year later, she is a waitress in her grandfather's restaurant, and one fateful night she meets Bob, who is out on a blind date that was set up by one of his late wife's work colleagues. It appears to be love at first sight, and as the couple get to know each other, we are already aware that Grace has a secret she must tell Bob before it's too late. It's a secret that could end their relationship as suddenly as it began, and although it becomes apparent to us early in the film, I'm not going to disclose it here.
Return To Me is a lovely film, but it's a little uneven in places. It jumps about a bit, especially during the scenes where Bob and Grace are dating. For some reason, the camera lingers on Grace's grandfather and his friends, a group of comical elderly busybodies who sit around at night talking about old movie stars. While they're a loveable bunch, I would have preferred to see a bit more of Bob and Grace. But apart from that minor problem, the film is highly enjoyable. However, to enjoy it, you have to take it as it's meant. It's supposed to be a kind of fairytale; it relies on us believing in fate, destiny and quantities of coincidence. The story may seem highly unlikely, but stranger things than this have been known to happen.
Return To Me is greatly enhanced by the excellent acting of its lead players, who are so natural that at times, I felt like a fly on the wall in a real situation. The film was directed by Bonnie Hunt who plays Grace's best friend Megan and, incidentally, also played the 'best friend' role in Only You, a film that I was subtly reminded of several times while watching this one.
If you don't have a single romantic bone in your body, stay at home; otherwise I recommend that you go and see Return To Me.