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Homepage > Joss Whedon Cast > Sarah Michelle Gellar > Reviews > Sarah Michelle Gellar - "The Return" Movie - Vueweekly.com Review
Vueweekly.com Sarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle Gellar - "The Return" Movie - Vueweekly.com ReviewJosef Braun Friday 17 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 NEVER LETS GELLAR OUT OF THE BAG Rather than snow us with all manner of familiar tricks designed to help us identify with the protagonist as soon as cinematically possible, The Return gambles absolutely everything on intrigue. Ambiguity rules over nearly every scene and Joanna (Sarah Michelle Gellar), our heroine, is consistently held at arm’s length. We’re unsure what drives her actions and given only the most miserly fragments of biographical information to go on. As she becomes increasingly haunted by visions of places she’s never been and voices she can’t identify while travelling on business to her home state of Texas, we’re never able to fully trust her as our guide. Why can she not rid her car stereo of Patsy Cline’s “Sweet Dreams”? Why does she keep seeing the wrong face in the mirror? Why is she cutting herself? Is she in touch with spirits? Is this all the result of some obscure trauma? Is she just nuts? Do director Asif Kapadia or screenwriter Adam Sussman actually know where they’re going with all this? The answer, I’d argue, to that last question is more or less, though I might be just about the only critic to offer even that mild a commendation. But then, many critics chose to ignore The Return entirely-and given the quality of most spooky movies being churned out of the studios lately, I can’t say I blame them. The Return is a modest but perfectly admirable little thriller. Its gets silly now and then-the Patsy Cline thing does feel like a tired device-but its strange resolution, delivered in a long, silent montage, is weirdly satisfying. While on one hand Sussman is perhaps too cagey for his own good, finally leaving at least one major plot development permanently shelved, it’s to the story’s benefit that he errs on the side of excessive paring down. Kapadia’s low-key approach to the material is refreshing, exhibiting confidence with the genre and an unusual degree of trust in the audience to do their own thinking. It’s entirely possible that my friendliness to The Return is as contingent on my ignorance of Gellar’s work as it is on my low expectations or comfort with ambiguity. Gellar’s been a household name for so long now-largely, it seems, as a result of Buffy the Vampire Slayer-that I actually had to comb through her filmography to realize I’d never seen a single thing she’s done. So while some viewers weary of this bird-like TV star may have made up their mind about her performance in The Return before it even starts, I was happy to carry no preconceptions. I found her cool, reserved performance perfectly appropriate. V Now Playing The Return
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