Return to Office

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 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.

The movie is a takeoff of many movies in the past about secret friends, either pen pals, email pals or other technology pals. The leads are likeable and fresh and give good performances. The supporting cast is good as well and the story is , while formulaic, at least modern in its setting. Then comes the nits to pick. This is one of the largest tech companies in the world and these two people are the supposed right and left hand of a merged company Chairman. And they have to share a desk in the middle of a crowded office near a kitchen. I mean has anyone involved in this ever actually worked in a corporate environment? It kind of makes the initial premise ridiculous but they keep it up. All in all with a 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.