by Boyd Hilton
Return to Me
Starring: David Duchovny, Minnie Driver, Bonnie Hunt, James Belushi Director: Bonnie Hunt
The Plot: Handsome widower Bob (Duchovny) unwittingly falls for the beautiful woman Grace (Driver) who inherited his late wife's heart after a transplant operation. That's the simple high-concept storyline which propels this oldfashioned romantic comedy, but you'll be pleased to know there *is* other stuff going on too. This involves Bob's attempt to honour his late zoologist wife's love of her favourite gorilla by building a new habitat for the beast and some comical behaviour from Grace's extended support network of eccentric friends and family who hang out in the Irish-Italian Chicago restaurant where she waitresses.
What's right with it? In its own sweet, unashamedly oldfashioned way, this is an accomplished, neatly put-together romantic night out at the pictures with lots of treats to be enjoyed at the at the admittedly schematic story's outer edges. So while the likeable Duchovny and Driver establish an easy-going, convincing chemistry together in the lead roles, there are some fine supporting performances. Co-writer/director Bonnie Hunt plays Driver's wonderfully down-to-earth best friend and James Belushi is marvellously wry as Hunt's even grittier husband. One or two scenes (notably a rather scathing depiction of an insufferable restaurant snob) even hints at the possibility of the whole thing taking a few unpredictable detours down a slightly more sardonic route.
What's wrong with it? In order to set up its unashamedly contrived plot, the first third of the film is inevitably a little bit miserable, replete as it is with death and terminal disease. Duchovny's character spends it moping around mourning his wife's death and looking even more morose than he does in The X Files, while Driver has to be wan and pale as she waits for her heart transplant. Then, once their romance kicks in, it's all a little bit *too* sweet and tasteful. For example, a key plot device requires us to believe that Driver could hide the surgery scar from Duchovny for what seems like months. Yeah right, like this tasty couple wouldn't have been rutting like monkeys after the first date.
Length: 115 pleasant minutes
Verdict: A warm, fuzzy charmer of a date movie, perfect for those who'd rather watch Minnie Driver scoring in a romantic comedy than David Beckham scoring in Euro 2000. Cynics need not bother getting out of their armchairs. ***(Three stars)
