Return (2011)
DVD9 | VIDEO_TS | NTSC 16:9 | 01:38:05 | 5,68 Gb
Audio: English AC3 5.1/2.0 @ 448/224 Kbps | Subs: English
Genre: Drama
DVD9 | VIDEO_TS | NTSC 16:9 | 01:38:05 | 5,68 Gb
Audio: English AC3 5.1/2.0 @ 448/224 Kbps | Subs: English
Genre: Drama
Director: Liza Johnson
Stars: Linda Cardellini, Michael Shannon, John Slattery
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?
It seems like every couple of weeks the media reminds us how little we understand of the long-term emotional and mental scars bore by the men and women fighting overseas. Director Liza Johnson's tempered, subdued yet emotionally resonant Return doesn't attempt to spell out how Kelli (a humble, skilled balancing act by a terrific Linda Cardellini), a National Guard reservist returning from a tour of duty with the possibility of being called into action again, obtains the damage that in no short time derails her work and fractures her home life. Johnson, who also penned the script, smartly doesn't look for answers but presents a portrait that remains compelling for the entirety of the film's 90-minute runtime. The director has an enviable asset in Cardellini, who turns in a performance that is barely showy and never maudlin, imbuing a conflicted, error-prone character with sympathetic life. Awards-wise, it'll probably be looked over, but boy if it doesn't serve as a reminder that Cardellini is not only a reliable actress but also a damn good one.
Journeying back to her Ohio small town, Kelli is welcomed with open arms by a small cadre of friends and husband Mike (Michael Shannon, playing the straight man without batting an eyelash). Kelli looks exhausted but happy, in particular at the sight of her two daughters, Jackie (Emma Rayne Lyle) and Bree (played by awesomely cute toddler twins Tabitha and Victoria Depew). She settles into a lawn chair with ease, letting a curse word slip, which slights Mike, one of the many invisible blows and bruises that the couple will soon trade. Settling into everyday life, Kelli returns to her pre-service work at a manufacturing plant, but something is clearly off.
It seems as if we've been trained to look for cracks in the psyche of movie soldiers post-service. Johnson is seemingly aware of this trend, electing wisely to compose a full-bodied portrait of a slippery slope where the crash doesn't happen in the course of a day but is instead etched into the mind like a prisoner counting days on cold concrete walls. Kelli loses her grip by degrees and Cardellini manages to capture the complexity of this descent. From one drink too many at an outing with her friends to the startling realization that she doesn't want to do her job anymore, there's no respite, no quick fix for Kelli as friends and family ask her again and again what it was like over there and she responds with a terse "A lot of people had it worse than I did."
Spoiling some of the plot of Return probably wouldn't do much harm, but something tells this writer not to. It's not intricate or building up to a groundbreaking revelation, but as things inevitably go worse for Kelli, as her marriage falls apart and the possibility of stable daily life is snatched away, Bud (a bearded John Slattery), a fellow veteran, albeit an older gentleman, becomes a constant anchor and maybe something more. The third act of Return steers from easy answers and instead offers a glimpse of hope, a possibility of turning a life back on track. The final moments of Cardellini looking ahead with an unspoken intensity are truly memorable - she is not out of the woods yet, and maybe never will be, but this woman is committed to wading out of the muck and grasping on to something tangible. In Kelli's case, that may mean being a good mother, and while there's no doubt she loves her daughters, the possibility of regaining former stability is up in the air. Return scores points in this writer's book for bravely sticking it out and leaving us with a hint of real life - messy, ugly but for a few moments every day, filled with longing and hope.
Return is undoubtedly worth a single watch, while later viewings may lend limited rewards. Still, for both its uncompromising dedication to capturing something approaching real life with elegance and Cardellini powerful turn, it comes Highly Recommended.
Linda Cardellini is terrific as Kelli, delivering a strongly internalised, emotionally powerful performance where her haunted eyes and facial expressions constantly belie what she's actually saying; as such, we strongly sense that Kelli is either unwilling or unable to talk about her experiences and we feel her desperate desire for things to go back to normal. Shannon is equally good as Mike, who's wrestling with his own issues (brought sharply home in the scenes with Mike and a group of soldier's wives) and there's strong support from the always excellent Slattery.
Johnson adopts a Dardennes-style, almost documentary-like approach for the film, with Anne Etheridge's camerawork following Kelli's every move (Cardellini is in every scene), often with tight close-ups on her face. This is extremely effective, allowing us to experience the alienating effect of Kelli's surroundings, whether it's the constant drone of the TV, the noise of her children playing or the inane chatter of her old group of friends – it's clear that what once seemed important and everyday has now lost all meaning (if nothing else, the film makes it crystal clear why so many returning veterans turn to alcohol).
Johnson's sharply observed, thoroughly researched script commendably resists the obvious clichés – in particular, we never find out exactly what happened to Kelli overseas; instead, she repeats the phrase “Well, you know, a lot of people had a it a lot worse,” like a mantra, whenever anyone asks her how she's coping. Similarly, the dialogue (or lack of it) feels extremely natural and organic throughout, adding to the documentary-like feel of the film.
Return is an impressively directed and emotionally engaging drama with a terrific central performance from Linda Cardellini. It's also worth checking out in conjunction with recent British drama In Our Name, which starred Joanne Froggat and addressed the same subject. Recommended.
Special Features:
- Audio commentary with director Liza Johnson and cinematographer Anne Etheridge
- Deleted scenes
- Theatrical trailer
All Credits goes to Original uploader.
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