Return to Office

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!

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.

7.7 stars.

I am pleasantly surprised by the outcome of this film. From the title, and what it looked like the story would amount to, I was prepared for a dull experience full of nowhere conversation and the usual Hallmark stuff.

The story is not particularly clever, however the way it was navigated was a bit different than usual. There were not the dramatic, tense moments and the interrupted kisses, and all the other usual formulaic ingredients. Instead, they played it off more nonchalant and easy-going. We didn't have to deal with some big reveal where one of the leads is massively disappointed in the other, leading to a temporary falling out, only to be reunited at the end for the kiss.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how this one didn't follow the usual blueprint. Enjoy. And, by the way, the leads were wonderful, charismatic and had great attraction.

This movie is a clever take on the popular premise of "You've Got Mail". And the actors do a good job with it. It follows some of the same themes where the two build a relationship both face to face and only by text. Then the texters want to meet. And one of them learns the other's identity. Besides sharing a desk on every other day at the same company, there is also a fresh twist in that two retirement home ladies start meddling.

Just when you think the relationship story and the obvious secret are about to climax, there is a major development on the business side. And this leads into the climax of the romance. I thought the climax at the restaurant made a little too much of a leap. Both characters were expressing thoughts and emotions that hadn't quite been fully developed, at least not for the audience. And the ending was almost squished into the climax.

Janel Parrish and Scott Michael Foster have good chemistry and the acting is good. The dialogue is good. I loved the line "Am I the last one to the Bach party?"

Walter, the head boss, and Chad, the HR guy, were not only annoying, but their characters were way too stereotyped and one dimensional.

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.