Return to Sender

"Return To Sender" aka "Convicted" is a first-rate drama. The plot is: Charlotte Cory (Connie Nielsen) is on death row. There's only a week until her execution. Her lawyer (Kelly Preston) is running out of options to save her. Then Frank Nitzche (Aidan Quinn) comes into the picture. He wants to prove Charlotte's innocence, but he has a lustful attraction for her that's derailing the investigation. Can Charlotte be saved?

The main problem with the movie is that it feels forced to go clichéd. I say that because the mystery aspect of the film doesn't work. It overcomes that because of the acting and directing. The whole cast is great. Aidan Quinn stands out. Connie Nielsen and Kelly Preston do a fine job. There was no reason for this movie to go direct-to-video. It should've had a shot in the theaters. In the end: Watch for the actors and get annoyed that studios dump hidden gems into the video market.

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This was a movie that OK. The acting was OK, the story was OK, everything was OK, but not more than that. I wasn't p***** off about the time I spent watching it, but there were a lot of other ways (better ways) I could've spent that time. Bottom line, it's a good movie to see if you've got NOTHING else to do. The other thing to mention about the movie is that it had been done before. Not the exact same movie. But you can't help saying to yourself "haven't i seen this one before". It's just one of those movies that has that feeling about them. That being said, I'll go home and watch cartoons. Yeah, cartoons kick a55.

A powerful performance by Connie Nielsen, well supported by Aidan Quinn and Kelly Preston. The plot holes don't really matter here, it's the psyche of Charlotte Cory, as revealed by Nielson, that draws one through this film. Like Quinn's character Frank, one needs to learn why this beautiful person will passively accept execution by the state rather than defend her innocence. Self-condemned, because she miserably failed her sister Stella years before, Charlotte seems to believe she can atone for her sins in a twisted kind of sacrifice.

Neilsen reveals with her face and eyes the inner beauty of her character, the sadness on learning the (false?) circumstances of her father's death, the meaningfulness of her relationship with Frank, the love of her sister, the hope of a new life.

Aidan Quinn provides a solid, believable Frank, the shyster turning hero, resonating with Nielsen throughout.

The overwhelming impression of this film is its realism, in character portrayal, settings, musical score, it seems authentic, even when viewed through the lens of a security camera. In contrast, the fantasy sequences are whimsical and far out.

The solution of the mystery is satisfying, leading to a good ending.

Charlotte Cory (Connie Nielsen) is on death row for the kidnapping and murder of a child - but did she do it? Aidan Quinn plays an ex-defense lawyer who makes money selling the last letters of condemned prisoners to the highest bidder (apparently, such letters fetch tens of thousands of dollars). Because Cory's case is so rare, he sees the chance to make half a million dollars on her last letter. He pretends to be a friend of her father's in order to get close to her, but he ends up becoming emotionally engaged in her situation, and falling in love with her.

Return To Sender is a low-key character drama, extremely well-acted, realistic, touching and just generally well-rounded. I was absorbed by it throughout, and can't think of a single thing wrong with it. It keeps the suspense going right until the satisfying end. A great achievement by everyone involved.

First of all, I liked this movie. Connie Nielsen, Adain Quinn and Kelly Preston are all terrific actors (especially Nielsen, who's been a favorite of mine since Gladiator) and all do supreme justice to their roles. That said, I didn't know much about this movie (nothing actually) when I rented it and was very disappointed to find that it was just another message movie which told us, the ignorant, just how evil capital punishment really is. The crowds at the prison just before the execution were all stupid redneck types shouting obscene comments. Nowhere did you see a Mike Ferrell type and his equally moronic crazies. Also, many of the comments made by the actors were about as subtle as a sledgehammer. I wish Hollywood would go back to making movies that tell a story and quit trying to sell their left-wing agendas.