Return
2012 Directed by Liza Johnson
Synopsis
Back from a tour of duty, Kelli can't wait to rejoin her old life in the rust belt town she's always lived in. She's ready to experience the old feelings of everyday life- the carpet under her bare feet, a cold beer in front of the television, the smell of her baby's head. Slowly, though, she realizes that her everyday life doesn't resemble the one she left. Struggling to find her place in her family and the rust-belt town she no longer recognizes, what can she reclaim of her share of the way of life she's been fighting to protect?
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Liza Johnson’s restrained and naturalistic debut is a sensitive but familiar examination of the alienation felt by returning soldiers. Linda Cardellini delivers a career best performance as Kelli, a National Guard soldier who struggles to readjust to civilian life in a rundown American town whilst her family and friends find it difficult to cope with this new woman who has returned.
Although the film dabbles with convenient plotting, Return maintains a pleasing air of authenticity. Kelli’s trauma is left vague refusing to fallback on a defining moment that has caused this PTSD. The ambiguity and lack of definitive closure works in the film’s favour making this story of alienation far more universal. Unfortunately, the film’s significant flaw is that we’ve…
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Return is the story of a mother coming home from duty in the Middle East and how she tries to integrate herself back into society. Linda Cardellini plays the protagonist to almost perfect execution, but the film itself isn’t as perfect as her performance is.
The characters of Kelli (Cardellini) and Mike (Shannon) are written without the exterior that I have come to expect from these sorts of dramas. We never really understand what she did on duty or how it affected her and Shannon’s character is largely underwritten and misguided. It has its moments of sheer power and those performances, however tangled the characters may be, are quite chilling. As a film though, it just never really delivers as a whole and it feels almost too cautious and safe, instead of the emotional roller-coaster of a ride that it should be. The debut director Liza Johnson does show great promise for the future though.
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Michael Shannon once again proves he is a master of drama. Linda Cardellini does more than just hold her own in this slow burning, yet powerful drama.
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Liza Johnson’s restrained and naturalistic debut is a sensitive but familiar examination of the alienation felt by returning soldiers. Linda Cardellini delivers a career best performance as Kelli, a National Guard soldier who struggles to readjust to civilian life in a rundown American town whilst her family and friends find it difficult to cope with this new woman who has returned.
Although the film dabbles with convenient plotting, Return maintains a pleasing air of authenticity. Kelli’s trauma is left vague refusing to fallback on a defining moment that has caused this PTSD. The ambiguity and lack of definitive closure works in the film’s favour making this story of alienation far more universal. Unfortunately, the film’s significant flaw is that we’ve…
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A young wife and mother struggles to cope with everyday life after returning from serving abroad with the US army , Powerful look at the aftermaths of war
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Great movie, stunning performance by Cardellini, who I am a big fan of from her ER days.
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Finally, the MAD MEN/FREAKS AND GEEKS crossover we've been waiting for.
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A little long, a little predictable, but still a relevant story of one woman's attempt to reenter society after a tour overseas. Fine performances all around, but former "Freaks and Geeks" star Linda Cardellini is appropriately the MVP.
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Well-acted film, with Cardellini carrying the whole piece. She's very good. Quiet and meditative, it's not a majorly impactful film but it gets you stewing in the cerebral challenges of civilian life post-service. The casting of John Slattery is a bit distracting, though he's good. I do feel a bit awkward for Talia Balsam as she needs projects where she does not appear with her husband! It's always hard to focus on her.
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Solid character study anchored by career-best performance for Linda Cardellini. Supporting roles by Slattery and Shannon are enjoyable.
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The performances from Linda Cardellini and Michael Shannon were solid and the directing was sound, but I can't help but feel there was a lot lacking in film. I think probably because I've grown tired of movies about people coming home from war.
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Resolutely non-melodramatic drama, drawing much of its power from the insight that what happened to heroine in Iraq/Afghanistan wasn't an objective trauma - we believe her when she says (as she keeps saying) that others had it worse - but a subjective one, which is why she can't express it. Steeped in helplessness and a kind of (deliberately) half-baked attempt at transformation, with strong performances. Minor, but impressive.