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Lfpress.ca Sarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle Gellar - "The Return" Movie - Lfpress.ca ReviewJim Slotek Monday 13 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. Gellar’s Return won’t hold Grudge crowd You’re a distributor and you’re trying to sell a slow-moving supernatural mystery with Sarah Michelle Gellar, no body count to speak of and very little blood. What do you do? If you’re the folks behind The Return, you slap Gellar’s scared face all over the trailer, toss in every other jumpy-scary scream-cut and include an incongruous creepy kid shot. And you don’t show it to critics or anyone else who could warn people The Return is not The Grudge 3. But that goes without saying in the scary movie genre these days. Fact is, things could get ugly if the wrong crowd comes to The Return and sits an hour-plus before there’s even the slightest hint of what’s going on, why Buffy keeps having bad dreams, which woman’s face keeps showing up in the mirror and why we keep hearing the first few bars of Patsy Cline singing Sweet Dreams. On the other hand, if you are in the mood for an old- fashioned ghost story, in which a murder is solved so the dead can rest (think What Lies Beneath), The Return is a passable, moderately-stylish time-waster with fewer ridiculous moments than you’d expect from a movie where Gellar (all five-foot-zero of her in heels) is a travelling salesperson hawking industrial truck-transport contracts to beefy Texans. Director Asif Kapadia has a flair for already overused neo-horror film conventions (he’s in love with starkly lit dream sequences that look like the video scenes in The Ring). Writer Adam Sussman commits the cardinal mystery-movie sin of withholding a key piece of information until the penultimate scene, robbing viewers of the fun of properly putting the pieces together and solving things themselves. But Gellar’s quietly-sincere intensity often succeeds in distracting you from the movie’s shortcomings. — - THE RETURN What: Thriller directed by Asif Kapadia Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Peter O’Brien and Sam Shepard Classification: 14A Where: Rainbow Cinemas, Galleria London (519-434-3073); Westmount 6 Cinemas, 785 Wonderland Rd. (519-474-2152) Rating: 2 out of 5 |