Return To Me

Return To Me is a particularly pleasing old fashioned American Romantic Comedy. It polishes and places carefully on a well maintained mantlepiece a swag of guaranteed good feel hooks, and with a light touch massages away the troubles of the world. Or at least it will for most of its audience.
There isn’t a hint of irony or cynicism in this film which manages artefully to overcome a riduculously contrived plot. This story is damnably silly, but perhaps not. It all depends on whether you can believe that the leads have their hearts in the right place.
Minnie Driver and David Duchovny play Grace And Bob. Bob’s wife (Joely Richardson) dies in a car crash and has her heart transplanted into Grace’s body. One year later Grace and Bob meet and fall in love, not knowing the transplant details.
But all of that is embellished by lots of cuddly animals including a friendly gorilla, a cohort of cute, matchmaking Italian/Irish grandatherly types and for good measure ongoing arguments about the relative merits of singers like Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. It’s a bit like Annie Hall without Woody’s insecurity.
Of course the old gentlemen drag out Sinatra to aid the wooing of Grace, suprisingly on Compact Disc. There! This film is modern after all.
Actress comedian Bonnie Hunt makes her directorial debut with Return To Me and has done so with considerable aplomb. She has allowed the film to remain innocent and it does seem that Grace and Bob are in love.
The film is remarkably relaxed in spite of all of its affectations. James Belushi, Carroll O’Connor, Robert Loggia and Bonnie Hunt, who also plays Megan, are all very pleasing. This affectionate film will put your heart in the right place.

4 Affectionate Flys

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