[color photo of DD, MD, Carroll O'Connor & Robert Loggia]

Return to Me

When the opening scenes cut between hospitalised Minnie Driver languishing in need of a new heart, and building supervisor David Duchovny's happy, successful marriage with zoologist Joely Richardson, there will be few in the audience who won't have already twigged that dear Joely has got the 'marked for death' role. A car crash later, we all know who's going to benefit from a fresh heart transplant and new romance is in the air. Hollywood gush in the classic mould it is too, though this semi-charming romantic comedy plays like it was the most natural thing in the world, an approach which happens to be the movie's strength and its weakness.

Actually, it's rather pleasing to see a movie which rolls out its central conceit so straightforwardly, eschewing Nora Ephron-ish superslick one-liners, and allowing both Duchovny and Driver to do what they do best. Both of them have enough of a handle on their characters to show them negotiating awkward circumstances in their developing relationship, but credible sensitivity sits uneasily against the unyielding template of rom-com toshery, so when the movie has to contrive devices to keep the featured couple apart, it rather tiresomely starts to work against itself. Ah well, there are compensations, as writer-director Bonnie Hunt also performs on-screen heroics in the wise-best-friend berth, all the while sharing house with amiable hubby James Belushi in a warmly convincing sketch of messy-but-true 2.4-children domesticity. We like them, we're rooting for Dave 'n' Minnie, we'll even forgive the thick Oirish ham served by her old dad Carroll O'Connor, but it's all because we're waiting for a triple hankie surrender which never really materialises. Ingratiating, yes, but slightly wide of the mark. --Trevor Johnston