The Return (2003)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

That's why i love European movies. they focus on the story, acting, cinematography; natural cinematography without usual Hollywood special effects and explosives, making you sigh after the end credits. What is more beautiful than seeing the water and the blue sky, feeling the air on the way the actors feel it. Really, camera angles could make difference, making the audience in the seat of the actors. What I mean is apparent in the scenes where the children use their camera and view sights. You feel shaken hands while taking photos like you do, see the world like they see it around. It gets bothering at times these shaky hands, but it get you in the mood of the movie. Concerning the acting, it's solid, and the two boys are superb. The movie does not contain much dialogue, so the actors depended on their facial expressions which they succeeded in having the right ones in every scene, expressing how they feel towards their father. The plot is vague in some concerns and not everything is revealed. It is about the return of a father to his two children after 12 years. He took them in a journey to a deserted island. What special about The Return is its various interpretations. It appeals to all countries and all ages according to your interpretation, whether it is politically, socially or even religiously. Believe me, you will find what concerns you in this powerful and flexible movie, realizing that The Return is more than the return of a father.

What constitutes a typical art-house film may be difficult to describe, but if you are confronted with one, it is immediately clear. It has something to do with the quiet way in which the story is portrayed and with the original scenes shot on location. This film excels with no doubt with its view on vast landscapes and serene lakes. We travel together with a father who has suddenly reappeared after twelve years and his two children in a car through a desolate area on their way to a mysterious island where the story unfolds. The two sons respond to the reunification in their own way, with the oldest inclining to idolization and the youngest to unconcealed skepticism. That the father still believes he has the right to authority over his children is a dangerous miscalculation. The children act sublime especially the youngest, from the beginning his relationship with the eldest is difficult but in the end they are connected through their shared destiny, even more than the development of the bond with their father it is about the relationship between the brothers who need to deal with the newly created situation. Little is explicitly clear about the motives of the father, but at a certain crucial moment it is easy to guess, but it also appears that they only partly have to do with re-establishing a bond with his children but show a lot of egoistic traits. Once you have crossed the Styx there is no way back.

This movie is about two Russian brothers (Andrei and Ivan) who lived their entire childhood without a father. They live with their mother and grandmother. They don't know their father except from a faded photograph. Their father unexpectedly returns after being absent for 12 years. He takes the boys on a vacation with him, apparently to make up for the lost time. While Andrei is delighted for reuniting with his father, Ivan is less than convinced. Their father is mysterious, reserved, emotionally distant, has difficulty in showing affection and shows some disturbing methods to punish the boys, such as leaving Ivan alone in a bridge for hours and scaring Andrei with an axe, but apparently methods like these are commonly used by the russians to deal with their kids. Russian can be harsh people. There is, however, a tragedy in store for the father at the ending.It's a good movie. Its story is interesting, there are some haunting scenes and the sceneries are natural, authentic and beautiful, but the pacing is slow, so it requires some patience to watch it. All it lacks is answers to some questions, such as: Why was the father gone for so long? Why didn't he stay in touch with his kids? What is he up to? Why doesn't he talk about him and what he does?The acting performances are good: Vladimir Garin (who sadly died at such a tender age, shortly after finishing his role) as Andrei, Ivan Dobronravov as Ivan, Konstantin Lavronenko as the boys's father and Natalia Vdovina as the boy's mother. Speaking of the mother, she is beautiful. Russian women are known for their beauty.Title in Portugal: 'O regresso'.

The main idea of this film is to emphasize the great love of a father toward his children. Unlike common logic of depicting a conscious and gentle character, this father is always shown his cruel actions and impatience towards his children. However, scenes demonstrating the responsibility of his is also constantly shown throughout the film, especially the extreme action he took in the end, creating a pessimistic ending, to show his great care for his children. The theme of the father's affection is highlighted this way, and I think this is the uniqueness of this film.However, though I personally do believe this contrast achieved its desired effect, I strongly doubt the logic of this theme. This movie is persuading its audience that one is a good father as long as he is concerned about his kids regardless of how he treats them.I think we need to analyze what makes a good father in the perspective of the benefit of children. Although the intentions of his actions are good, by no means can we deny that he had always making his children feel insecure and stood in a bad mood. A good father should have the ability to control his emotions regardless of what he has been through and provide a good environment for their children's development. In fact, I feel pretty fortunate that he has been away from them for 12 years. If he lived with them for this long period of time, the children's characteristics could be deeply affected by him and become cruel and violent as he is after they grow up. I think almost all fathers love their children, but the difference is what kind of person the child turns into after he or she grows up.In conclusion, even though the plot was innovative and the story did pretty much attract me, I dislike this film overall for the strange value it holds. I would not recommend this film to viewers especially children in developing ages.