An attractive small town nurse is raped in her house after she is confused about her blind date. Then, the story turns about her struggle with the trauma and loses its initial tempo. The plot also gets incredulous in this part. The end comes with a predictable twist. Good acting from R. Pike and N. Nolte while S. Fernandez's acting seems a bit theatrical with his smirky face all along as if to remind us that he's the bad guy who never gets rehabilitated. All in all, a decent but forgettable project.

Miranda Wells (Rosamund Pike) is a hospital nurse. Her friends set her up on a blind date. She finds William Finn (Shiloh Fernandez) on her door step and assumes him to be her date. She lets him in and he rapes her. The police later catches him. She is told that her rape has made it hard to sell her house. Her hands start shaking and she can't advance to be a surgical nurse. Her nice persona changes and she writes a letter to William in prison. It is sent back with Return to Sender. Mitchell Wells (Nick Nolte) is her father and Nancy (Camryn Manheim) is her best friend co-worker.Fouad Mikati's directions are only TV movie level. It's a waste of cinematic level talents of the cast. I have no complaint about the cast but it doesn't rise up to their level. It's also not comparable to Lifetime movies or anything of that sort. It is really disconcerting to see talents wasted this way. One of my pet peeves is the metallic echo when they speak to each other over the prison phones. It's one of the wrong choices that keep this movie down. It's too static with much of the time spent in that prison visiting booth. Any shocking descent is flattened by that stationary camera work. By the time he gets out, the movie is two thirds over and I stop caring about the rest. There is an obvious twist that is done much better in Hard Candy. This would be a good Twilight Zone or a horror TV episode. It's not cinematic enough to be theatrical.

Whatever happened to the concept of having a drawing board?The introduction of the lovely female protagonist, followed by her made-for-TV on-screen rape ordeal, had me awkwardly pessimistic, yet cautiously hopeful for a sensitive handling of such a hideous subject.The victim tracks down and visits the rapist in prison, who demonstrates genuine remorse. Like a true angel of forgiveness- an example to us all, she accepts the olive branch of repentance and displays colossal enormity of heart by forgiving her aggressor. Upon his release, she extends her open-hearted generosity of spirit still further by inviting this newly rehabilitated soul to her home.Whilst he helps her to fix up her house, it transpires that her elaborate plan all along was to ultimately manipulate him into a vigilante revenge trap sting, in order to dispense 'real justice' by rendering him helpless and chopping his bits off etc. At this point, viewers can be forgiven for sympathising with either, neither, or both.The piece completely cheapens, and mishandles the subject of rape and sexual violence. It is abhorrent in its representation of victims of such crimes. It undermines good programs that arrange meetings between perpetrators of crime and their victims. It arguably breeds cynicism towards the principles of rehabilitation, forgiveness and redemption, whilst potentially seeding audience sympathy for an ugly and, sadly, all too common 'eye for an eye' philosophy.I'm sure, looking back, the actors (hopefully), and others involved, are extremely embarrassed to be on record as having been involved in this road-kill movie. Conversely, it wouldn't surprise me to hear that some of those involved were initially misled in relation to its ultimate toxicity...To finish, I'd like to establish that I don't automatically object to movies that have graphic scenes like rape, violence etc. A great example: Lilya 4ever. Bleak. Shocking. Brilliant. There are also many examples of brilliant revenge plots that thrill the rational viewer intelligent enough to suspend their disbelief beyond supporting violent vigilantism outside the world of screen! So... Whatever happened to the concept of having a drawing board?It absolutely astounds me that 'Return to Sender' seemingly never saw one. Apparently it is even playing on Sky Movies, so they seem to be a drawing board short of a shiit flick themselves!Cringe factor 10. Of course, watch and post if you agree, disagree or whatever! Just don't pick it if it's a one night, one movie deal!Boom Shanka :)

OK, so it's not going to win major awards, but it's a decent little flick that deserves more credit than the 1-4 ratings. Maybe those who gave it such a low rating didn't really grasp the meaning with the story....I guess "All that glitters isn't always golden" comes to mind. It's not always who seems likely to be the TRULY evil ones. Some people are a product of their environment ie. being abused as a child & then turn to crime & turn into bad people (sociopaths)and some people are just born with something missing inside, one who is just truly evil -although from outer appearances one would never know as they come across very normal even successful (psychopaths) and what happens if these two collide, if one tries to make a victim of the other??.. I think this movie tries to give an example of just that & which one will most likely triumph. That's my take on it anyway...