NOT EVERY GIFT IS WELCOME
A young married couple's lives are thrown into a harrowing tailspin when an acquaintance from the husband's past brings mysterious gifts and a horrifying secret to light after more than 20 years. With a plot like that, it sounds like a either a stalker thriller or a revenge film right? Well, that is only partially true. I went in watching the film thinking, okay, I have seen the trailer a couple times so I have a pretty good idea what to expect. The problem with that logic was, the film had more going on than I was anticipating. I know there tends to be several different trailers for films. So perhaps there is one that gives away a bit too much information on the film and I did not see it. Maybe not. I have had films in the past, ruined by oversharing trailers. Do yourself a favor if you are interested in seeing the film, skip any more trailers to avoid any chance of spoilers. If you are not familiar with the film, I will include a short TV spot at the end. I think often, too many trailers ruin the effectiveness of films by giving the viewer way more information than they need. But I digress.
"The Gift" is the directorial debut of Joel Edgerton, who also stars as Gordo. The film also stars Jason Bateman (Simon) and Rebecca Hall (Robyn). Simon and Robyn are a married couple who have just moved to California, not too far from where Simon grew up. While out shopping, Simon is approached by Gordo, an old classmate. Simon does not initially recognize the man until he states his name. After exchanging pleasantries and getting Gordo's phone number so they can catch up some time, the couple depart the store.
The next day a gift is found waiting at their front door. After finding it to be from Gordo, a bit of uneasiness settles in and Simon is clearly not pleased. However, Robyn does her best to explain that it is a nice gesture and they should give him a chance since after all, he is just trying to be nice. Next thing you know, Gordo shows up at the house, uninvited and unexpected. But, he is kind and pleasant and soon finds himself invited to dinner by Robyn.
From there things get very interesting and over the coarse of the film, the audience finds itself wondering, what exactly is going on. Every one tells lies, be it tiny white lies or full blown tall tales. Every one also has secrets. As you will find out, lies and secrets will be exposed. The truth can be damning and it can also be liberating. "The Gift" does a great job at keeping the audience in suspense and often wondering what is going to happen next. Joel Edgerton was masterful at building the tension in the film, bringing it to a roaring crescendo during the third act and then flooring the audience with its climax.
I hope that this film finds the large audience that it deserves. But I feel it may unfortunately, slip under the radar of most moviegoers. Perhaps good word of mouth will help it at the box office. The main trio of actors (Edgerton, Bateman and Hall) gave terrific performances and were very real and believable in their respective roles. The film also sports a fine supporting cast, even with some familiar faces like Busy Philipps (Cougar Town) and Wendell Pierce (The Wire). The music in the film is put to good use by helping to further enhance our sense of fear at just the right moments. "The Gift" was a far better film than I was expecting. A run of the mill thriller, it is not.
RATING: 4 / 5
UPDATE: Read our news on the home video release of "The Gift."
The next day a gift is found waiting at their front door. After finding it to be from Gordo, a bit of uneasiness settles in and Simon is clearly not pleased. However, Robyn does her best to explain that it is a nice gesture and they should give him a chance since after all, he is just trying to be nice. Next thing you know, Gordo shows up at the house, uninvited and unexpected. But, he is kind and pleasant and soon finds himself invited to dinner by Robyn.
From there things get very interesting and over the coarse of the film, the audience finds itself wondering, what exactly is going on. Every one tells lies, be it tiny white lies or full blown tall tales. Every one also has secrets. As you will find out, lies and secrets will be exposed. The truth can be damning and it can also be liberating. "The Gift" does a great job at keeping the audience in suspense and often wondering what is going to happen next. Joel Edgerton was masterful at building the tension in the film, bringing it to a roaring crescendo during the third act and then flooring the audience with its climax.
I hope that this film finds the large audience that it deserves. But I feel it may unfortunately, slip under the radar of most moviegoers. Perhaps good word of mouth will help it at the box office. The main trio of actors (Edgerton, Bateman and Hall) gave terrific performances and were very real and believable in their respective roles. The film also sports a fine supporting cast, even with some familiar faces like Busy Philipps (Cougar Town) and Wendell Pierce (The Wire). The music in the film is put to good use by helping to further enhance our sense of fear at just the right moments. "The Gift" was a far better film than I was expecting. A run of the mill thriller, it is not.
RATING: 4 / 5
UPDATE: Read our news on the home video release of "The Gift."