Return to Office

As I'm writing this, there is only one other person who has left a review. I get the feeling that they may not have ever seen a Hallmark movie before! I could be wrong, but what was so charming about this movie was that although there was a secret to be revealed, what was different than almost any other Hallmark movie in Hallmark's existence since I've discovered them was there was no tiny unnecessary disagreement that led to an over the top ending of the relationship. Of course, this happens at about 10 minutes before the ending, and then somehow the characters figure out that one of them was wrong and the immediately end the movie in a kiss. I'm always waiting for that to happen and it always does pretty much, but I was really thrilled that this was not the case here. There were little disagreements here and there, but it was quite believable. I agree with the previous review, saying that the writing was good and the actors had very good chemistry. The storyline was unique, not the typical Hallmark formula, and it kept me interested in what was going to come next. The person who played the HR character was definitely over the top, but I didn't feel that the other characters were one dimensional. This was extremely enjoyable in my opinion and really worth the watch.

This story starts with the announcement of a corporate merger, the CEO makes the decision to have all employees return to the office rather than work from home. Since there's limited space, employees must divide up their work week and share an office desk. Liv (Janel Parrish) and Tom (Scott Michael Foster) start their desk sharing by leaving post it notes for each other and only identifying themselves as ms. Monday and mr. Tuesday. A romance begins and so does solving the mystery of each other's identity. This is a refreshing plot instead the usual hallmark storylines, you may find similarities to the movies "Shop Around The Corner" and "You Got Mail" although Hallmark gives it their own little twist. The story does drag a tiny bit in the middle and it feels a bit rushed at the end. The two main characters are well cast and have good chemistry. Overrall a pleasant and charming movie that's different.

How do I know thee? Let me count the ways. "The Shop Around the Corner," 1940, "In the Good Old Summertime" (1949), "She Loves Me" (1963), You've Got Mail" (1998), "Hanukkah on Rye" (2022), "Return of Office" (2025).

It's an enduring story. I enjoyed this retelling. If you have not seen Shop Around the Corner it's worth seeing where it all started. James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan played the leads in the original.

"Return to Office" offers a contemporary take on the classic narrative, exploring themes of workplace dynamics and modern communication. The chemistry between the leads is interesting and it's an engaging storyline.

This one is a lot like some of the latest Hallmark movies... good cast, but not the best writing. The start is tedious and the entire movie seems a bit too much contrived. It finally gets going in the last 30 minutes. The female lead is as submissive as anyone can get... beyond any reasonable expectation of such. It's not until near the very end that she becomes a real person. I was just so annoyed by how much of a pushover she was... it reminded me of me, but by that age she should have grown more as a person. The boss seemed to be more of a caricature of a manager than a successful company owner.

This is definitely a concept of the now...with matcha, noise canceling headphones and being forced to return to the office. Liv and Tom are forced to share a desk, Liv on Monday and Wednesday and Tom on Tuesday and Thursday. Their sharing is anonymous and after some initial friction the two start to gel over a pastry peace offering and cute sticky notes from Miss Monday and Mr. Tuesday.

Liv and Tom do know each other in their work context where they don't really get along. Forced to work together however the two grow to respect one another until creative differences with their boss put them at odds again.

This Hallmark romance was helped tremendously by its two attractive leads. Both Scott Michael Foster, who played Tom, and Janel Parrish, who played Liv, were fantastic and I just enjoyed watching them both. There boss was cringeworthy and I would have quit that job long ago...but Liv and Tom were fun and kept me engaged.

If you can get passed the boss, HR employee, and some of it's modern concepts...hallmark romantics may enjoy this film. I can see how they were going for a "Shop Around The Corner" feel with their missed date, but trust me if you haven't seen the Ernst Lubitsch original film you really should...Jimmy Stewart is fantastic!