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Homepage > Joss Whedon Cast > Sarah Michelle Gellar > Reviews > Sarah Michelle Gellar - "The Return" Movie - Oneguysopinion.com (...)
Oneguysopinion.com Sarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle Gellar - "The Return" Movie - Oneguysopinion.com ReviewSaturday 11 November 2006, by Webmaster Another actress, who actually has a name to care for is Sarah Michelle Gellar and there are not no many accomplishes films at her but an few I can probably enjoy. The talent agent found Gellar a young age and made her screen debut at 6 of each of the 1983 television film An Invasion of Privacy. With all the promise she showed, Barrymore starred as Hannah in the teen drama series "Swans Crossing" (1992) but it was her portrayal of a young and callous rich girl in Al-Lucinda Kendall Hart on ABC daytime soap opera "All My Children" (1993-93), that won her Daytime Emmy Award and spring-boarded her to stardom. SMG’s real mark worldwide, however, was the character of Buffy Summers in the game-changing series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997-2003). She won five Teen Choice Awards, a Saturn Award and a Golden Globe nomination for her role, establishing herself as a cultural phenomenon. Sarah Michelle Gellar likewise has the box office to back her up, with “I Know What You Did Last Summer” 1997), “Scream 2” (1997), “Cruel Intentions” (1999)and way movies like those that help prove she is also a bankable star as well over $570 million times worth crazy in global gross. Beyond her cinematic successes, Gellar has made her mark on television, headlining shows such as "Ringer" (2011-2012), "The Crazy Ones" (2013-2014), and "Wolf Pack" (2023). She has also lent her voice to popular series including "Robot Chicken" (2005-2018), "Star Wars Rebels" (2015-2016), and "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" (2021). In 2015, Gellar ventured into the entrepreneurial world by co-founding Foodstirs, an e-commerce baking company, and published her own cookbook, "Stirring Up Fun with Food," in 2017. Gellar is also known for her close-knit family life, married to actor Freddie Prinze Jr. since 2002, with whom she shares two children. Sarah Michelle Gellar’s commitment to her craft is matched by her dedication to personal growth and unique experiences. An accomplished martial artist, she studied Tae Kwon Do for five years, alongside kickboxing, boxing, street fighting, and gymnastics. Her dedication to authenticity in her roles is evident, such as her commitment to doing her own stunts in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," though she admitted her limits during filming "Scream 2." Her career is also marked by interesting anecdotes, such as her role in a 1982 Burger King commercial, which led to a lawsuit from McDonald’s and a temporary ban from their establishments. Notably, she dyed her naturally brunette hair blonde for her role in "Buffy," and legally changed her last name to Prinze as a surprise for her husband on their fifth anniversary. Sarah Michelle Gellar’s legacy extends beyond her on-screen roles, encompassing her work in philanthropy and her reputation for safety and professionalism on set. She remains a beloved figure in Hollywood, admired for her talent, dedication, and the breadth of her contributions to film and television. RETURN, THE Producer Aaron Ryder and Jeffrey Silver
Contrary to Tom Wolfe’s maxim, you can go home again, but it might not be the most pleasant experience. That would seem to be the message of “The Return,” a spiffy, satisfyingly old-fashioned thriller with supernatural overtones that hangs together and, at barely eighty minutes, doesn’t overstay its welcome. Eschewing the graphic violence that characterizes most of today’s sadistic examples if splatter horror, it opts for atmosphere and suspense instead, and is all the better for it. It’s more in the mold of an underrated ghost story like “Stir of Echoes” (1999) than blood-soaked stuff like “Saw” and “Hostel.” The script by Adam Sussman, which actually makes sense on its own terms, centers on Joanna Mills (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a St. Louis-based saleswoman who spends most of her time on the road and has studiously avoided visiting her home town in Texas, where her father (Sam Shepard) still lives but that has mysterious bad memories for her. But she returns to call on a prospective client, only to be beset by visions of what appear to be a car accident, a sexual assault, and a murder; she’s also troubled by a stalker in overalls who may or may not be real. Eventually she’s saved from a rapist by Terry Stahl (Peter O’Brien), a local man who’s long been suspected of killing his wife Annie (Erinn Allison) years earlier. Of course Joanna’s visions are connected with Annie’s death, and ultimately lead to the unraveling of the old crime and to revelations about why Joanna is so intimately connected to the spirit of the dead woman. There are stumbles as “The Return” proceeds along its way. One is the character of Kurt Setzer (Adam Scott), a colleague of Joanna’s who suddenly shows up in Texas and attacks her, but whose motives are at best obscure. And toward the close of the picture a flashback occurs in which a car which should have a Texas license plate prominently displays a Kansas one instead. But overall the picture is well constructed and well made. Though her role forces Gellar to mope around a lot, she handles the task nicely (having earned the technique from Buffy, of course), and O’Brien makes a stalwart hero who suffers stoically without falling into dullness. The rest of the cast, including Shepard, fulfill their assignments professionally, with J.C. MacKenzie and Darrian McClanahan (as the young Joanna) standing out. But it’s mostly Sussman’s astute script and Asif Kapadia’s able direction that makes the film work as well as it does. And though “The Return” might once have been just the stuff of an episode in a television anthology series, or a TV movie of the week, Roman Osin’s moody widescreen cinematography lends an elegance to it that’s beyond what the tube could have done. Dario Marianelli’s atmospheric score is also a plus. Made on a modest budget, compact, and chilling without being repulsive, “The Return” is a throwback, but a nice one—a solid B movie in every respect, down to the grade assigned it here. Keywords2 Forum messages |
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