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Return
Return

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Linda Cardellini, Michael Shannon
Feb 10, 2012
Unrated, 1 hr. 37 min.

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Movie Info

Cast: Linda Cardellini, Michael Shannon, John Slattery, Talia Balsam, Emma Rayne Lyle, Paul Sparks, Louisa Krause
Director: Liza Johnson
Rated: Unrated
Running Time: 1 hr. 37 min.
Genre: Drama
Theater Release: Feb 10, 2012
Synopsis: Back from a tour of duty, Kelli (Linda Cardellini) can't wait to rejoin her old life in the Rust Belt town in which she's always lived. 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. But slowly, her world comes to feel unfamiliar. Her friends love her but seem preoccupied with trifles. Her children need more focused attention than she can give, and as much as he tries, her husband Mike (Michael Shannon) doesn't understand what she's been through. As Kelli's dislocation ripples through her world, she risks becoming an outsider. When she's thrown back on her own resources Kelli has to struggle to find a new way forward. -- (C) Official Site

Critic Reviews

  • David Edelstein, New York Magazine
    This quiet, naturalistic film has a classical arc and a lingering sting.
  • Dana Stevens, Slate
    Finally someone has written a really good role for Linda Cardellini -- a big, prickly, demanding role that puts her onscreen in literally every scene -- and it's a thrill to watch her operating at full throttle.
  • Lou Lumenick, New York Post
    Sincerity and restraint can be good things in independent movies, but not when you run the risk of putting the audience to sleep...
  • Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times
    With its modest scale and sharp observations, writer-director Liza Johnson's first feature has the quiet impact of a short story.
  • Stephen Holden, New York Times
    You admire these characters for their considerable resilience while understanding that even the best-intentioned people can break under the stress.
  • Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
    Johnson's feel for the rhythms of reconnection are steady, and she and her fine actors make "Return" one of only a handful of films to honestly address what to many is heartbreaking reality.
  • Rex Reed, New York Observer
    A bargain-budget bore by writer-director Liza Johnson about a female soldier back from a tour of active duty in Iraq who cannot adjust to life at home.
  • Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice
    Firmly in the unassuming indie vein, Return treads lightly and leaves little imprint.
  • Angie Errigo, Empire Magazine
    Skipping the usual flashbacks-and-cold-sweats cliches, Return has an understated power, even if the story traverses pretty well-trodden ground.
  • Philip French, Observer [UK]
    This is a quiet, honourable, carefully paced little independent movie, like a Sundance Institute coda to The Deer Hunter.
  • Get more reviews for Return at RottenTomatoes.com
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