The Gift
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Movie Reviews of The Gift
Movie Review: A "gift" from the movie gods!
Summary: 5 Stars
It's a rare treat to sit down to a movie that winds the chord of suspense and never stops, not even after it's all over. That's what so special about "The Gift," a pyschic thriller about a woman who, through an extraordinary power, becomes the only witness to a crime she never even saw. But the movie is more than a thriller with brains: it's also a character study, digging deep into its characters, their motivations, and what drives them to do the things they do. Many will think that the film attempts to deal with too much at once; I happen to think it's one of the best pictures of the year. The movie takes its time in introducing us to the characters, which allows itself to set the stage for events that will take place later. Cate Blanchett, in her best role since "Elizabeth," is Annie Wilson, widowed mother of three who lives in a small town and raises her three boys on social security money from her husband's death, and by reading fortunes for those who come to her. Her visions, however, are not always kind, nor do they always come during a session. Upon meeting the school principle, Wayne Collins (Greg Kinnear), and his fiancee, Jessica (Katie Holmes), Annie gets an uneasy feeling, not to mention a few intense images.
Soon, Jessica turns up missing, but not before the movie leaves us many clues that will lead to pointing fingers at various characters. Each character can be considered a suspect: Donnie Barksdale (Keanu Reeves), in whose pond the victim's body was found; his wife, Valerie (Hilary Swank), who admits to having bitter thoughts about Jessica for having slept with her husband; prosecutor David Duncan (Gary Cole), whom Annie caught having an affair with the victim... the list goes on.
In a completely engrossing twist of events, things get harried after Donnie is arrested for the murder of Jessica, and is soon put away after being found guilty at his trial. But still, Annie cannot shake the feeling that, after all that has passed, there is still some stone that has yet to be turned.
And through it all, Annie remains a stable and defiant woman, and under the acting of Blanchett, she is made all the more believable. As with her character Queen Elizabeth, Blanchett takes a forceful approach with the role, portraying her as a loving mother and a woman who refuses to give in to those who would intimidate her simply because of her gift. Even in the most intense sequences that take place in Annie's mind, through all the fear on her face, there is still that small degree of strength that makes Blanchett such a believable actress.
All around, the performances from the rest of the cast are stellar, one of the best ensemble casts for a motion picture in the year 2000. Actors Greg Kinnear, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank, and Giovanni Ribisi, are able to infuse a certain aura of mystery about into their characters, which is important when it comes to trying to solve the movie's many twists and mysteries.
Each of the characters possesses an emotional instability that the film portrays. Valerie Barksdale feels alone and empty after her husband's imprisonment, even though he profusely beat her before his arrest. The town sheriff claims to disbelieve in fortune telling, but cannot deny the strange circumstances that lead to the discovery of the victim's body. And Buddy Cole (Giovanni Ribisi) is haunted by a childhood experience that will play a later role in the movie. The movie makes the right decision by bringing out the emotional depth of its various characters rather than keep them on the sidelines as the mystery surrounding the murder unfolds.
The film's many twists and mysteries are some of the most intricately woven of any movie I've seen. Each twist is like a scream in the night, all leading up to a climax that is somewhat subtle yet very impacting. Throughout the movie, I was not without that tight feeling in my stomach as I watched in anticipation of what would happen next; it's very rare that a movie can have such an effect on me.
For all of its brilliance, "The Gift" receives four stars, resting on a very involving whodunit mystery with a psychic twist and a story that stays in tune with each of its characters. Like it's main protagonist, the movie has a gift of examining each person, and weaving them into the mystery to keep its secrets hidden until the end. It may not win many awards, but it has won my heart.
Movie Review: Psychic + Murder
Summary: 5 Stars
A thoroughly enjoyable and suspenseful story with an outstanding cast of mighty fine actors, this movie is laced with a few twists and turns. It begins in the South, around the swamplands in Alabama, I believe. Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchette) is a widow with 3 boys to raise. Her husband died about a year ago. She gets a small Social Security check and supplements it with donations she receives for giving (psychic) card readings for the local people. Valerie Barksdale (Hilary Swank) is one of her fairly frequent customers. Valerie's husband Donnie Barksdale (Keanu Reeves) is very physically and verbally abusive to Valerie. We are talking black eyes, dragging by the hair, etc. Donnie is also a serious redneck. Valerie is always sneaking off to see Annie and asking Annie what to do. Then Donnie gets mad at Valerie for going to see Annie. Donnie also gets mad because Annie tells Valerie to leave Donnie. He tells Annie to "STAY AWAY FROM MY WIFE!" and starts threatening Annie and her boys, but, I'm jumping a tad ahead of myself.
Annie is called to school because one of her boys was fighting. He is still very angry over his father's death. The teacher is the fine actor Greg Kinnear (Wayne)(the gay guy in "As Good As It Gets"). I LOVE him. He is always such a great asset to any movie. Wayne is an easy-tempered school teacher. Wayne's fiancee, Jessica, is a bit free-spirited with the men in town. Of course, she sneaks off for her little escapades when Wayne is not looking.
Back to Annie--Annie is low on money and she has a friend "Buddy" in town. Buddy is the local mechanic and all his pistons are not firing properly. I mean, Buddy has some real serious issues, stemming from childhood abuse by his daddy. Annie just tries to be his friend and help him out. To say that Buddy has demons in his head, figuratively, is somewhat of an understatement. Buddy is always seeking advice from Annie cause he is seriously messed up, and you find out why later in the movie. Anyway, Buddy keeps Annie's car running for her and lets her pay later, which really helps Annie out.
Now, Annie is a psychic who see glimpses of the past and the future. She also is a medium. She sees people occassionally from "the other side". While she is outside, Granny stops by (deceased) and tells Annie "A storm is coming." Annie sees a bloddy vision. Granny tells Annie, "Always use your instincts, Annie".
Later, Annie is at a party and accidentally opens a door and sees Jessica getting it on with some guy at a party, but Jessica is preoccupied and doesn't see Annie. When Annie returns home after the party, it is obvious that someone has been in her house. She finds her TV on, bedroom window open, and her reading cards laid out on the bed to spell "SATAN". Now, good-ole-boy Donnie was calling her "witch" and making related comments when he was threatening her before, so she figures it was Donnie. She tells the police but, since the cop and Donnie are squirrel-hunting buddies, the cop says it couldn't be Donnie. Things heat up as Donnie continues to threaten Annie, as Buddy keeps talking about "the blue diamond" and how he hates his daddy, as Jessica keeps ho-ing around, and as Annie keeps reading her cards for people. Annie dreams/visions of being choked. Jessica disappears. Donnie threatens one of Annie's boys on the road and tells him his momma is a witch and somebody might kill her. After Jessica disappears, Annie starts seeing visions of her being dead and she keeps waking up at 1:30 am.
Like I said, twists and turns--I found it very good. I could not walk away for even a minute without hitting the pause button. Gary Cole also plays a prosecutor. The movie is about 2 hours long. I loved it and even though I know what happens, I will still watch it again. The movie was great, both in storyline and performances.
Movie Review: I thought The Gift was a excellent film!
Summary: 5 Stars
Sam Rami, better known for directing the "Evil Dead" and "Spiderman" series of films, did a gem of a movie several years ago with a cast that included two Oscar winners (Cate Blanchett and Hilary Swank) and Oscar-nominated Greg Kinnear. Keanu Reeves, in one of his better performances, is in it, along with Giovanni Ribisi, Katie Holmes and Michael Jeter. What an all-star cast! If that wasn't enough, Oscar winner, Billy Bob Thornton, and Tom Epperson wrote the script. What they created was something very special. It wasn't so much a horror movie as a thriller centered on a widowed mother of three, living in a small southern town and who's able to see the future of other people and the turmoil this eventually creates when the town's promiscuous debutante is murdered. In many ways, I consider The Gift to be Rami's best film to date because of its humanity, its look at a special skill that I believe some people actually have, the premise that there is life after death and that spirits of loved ones can communicate with us, and the struggle of one person has to endure to tell the truth, no matter what the cost to her and her family.
The Gift refers to the psychic ability that widowed Annie Wilson (played by Blanchett) has and how she uses it for card readings to support her family. Keeping a low profile and with many of the town's women coming to her for practical and emotional advice each day, Annie suddenly finds herself caught in the middle of a controversy when she psychically sees the murder of the town's sexually active debutante (played by Katie Holmes). Because of the Annie's visions, the local sheriff is led to believe that the abusive husband (Keanu Reeves) of one of her clients (Hilary Swank) is the murderer, especially since he was having an affair with her. It doesn't help that Reeves' character had also been harassing and threatening Annie's family because of the advice she'd given to his wife. All, however, isn't what it seems. There are lies and deceptions to weed through, and Annie will have to put her life on the line to get to the truth.
What made this move work for me was the realism that Cate Blanchett brought to the role of Annie Wilson. Though British, Blanchett seemed to become an actual low-income woman of the South with three kids to take care of and no prospects of a better future since the death of her husband. I, as a viewer, immediately cared for Annie and her struggles and what she went through after the murder of Katie Holmes' character. Of course, it helps that all of the other actors were right on the mark, too. Keanu Reeves captured the meanness of a redneck abusive husband and the fear he can generate in the lives of the women around him perfectly. Giovanni Ribisi was also great as one of Annie's clients--a mechanic with his own demons to battle, yet he's secretly in love with her and always takes up for her and her children, even at the end. Then, there's Greg Kinnear as the good-hearted school principal, who is the fiancée of Katie Holmes' character, and whom you hope will get together with Annie by the end of the film. The acting is superb and the script flawless and the direction brings everything together into a film that's on its way to becoming a classic. Let me just say again that this isn't a horror movie, but rather a suspenseful thriller with strong supernatural overtones. This is definitely a movie I can watch over and over again, and still enjoy it. The DVD has a behind-the-scenes' featurette that is quite good. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: A Gothic, Psychic Murder Mystery
Summary: 5 Stars
The Gift is a murder mystery. Annie Wilson, a small town Georgia psychic, begins to have visions that, while not cluing her into the identity of the murderer - at least to start - do let her know a murder has been committed. The angry spirit of the murder victim prods Annie, none too gently, toward solving the crime which eventually, of course, brings her into conflict with the murderer.
Cate Blanchett plays Annie Wilson wonderfully well, as woman of great decency and empathy. Her body language when she feels threatened - hunched shoulders, avoidance of eye contact - show she's had her share of hard knocks in life. But beyond that, there's a hard core of stubbornness inside her, that allows her to continue on, to love and be a great mother to her kids, to hold onto some sense of dignity and self-respect, all the while dealing with a "gift" that's truly more a curse. It's impossible not to respect Annie, and like her, and root for her, to care what happens to her. While not conventionally movie star beautiful, Cate's Annie manages to be extremely appealing. The thing that makes he so attractive is that Annie's obviously, totally unaware she's sexy. Watching The Gift was the first time I've ever seen Cate Blanchett in a movie. After this, I want to see more. I'm going to have to check out Catherine in short order.
Keanu Reeves does a superb job as redneck wifebeater, Donnie Barksdale. This is an Ed Harris-level example of chameleon-like immersal in a character. I can give no higher compliment. Those who deride Reeves' acting abilities have never watched The Gift. When Reeves plays Donnie, he IS the character. Everything about him changes from what we're used to thinking of as "Keanu Reeves" - body language, vocal tone, speech patterns, everything is different. Really, the only thing recognizably Keanu Reeves is bone structure. My girlfriend, watching the movie with me, didn't even recognize him at first.
I was very impressed with Katie Holmes as Jessica King, the murder victim. Comparing Kate's Jessica King to Hannah Green, the character she played in Wonder Boys, shows she's a talented actress with an impressive range, she can play very different characters and be completely convincing in the roles. In Wonder Boys she was totally believable as a young woman of intelligence, sensitivity and kindness. In The Gift she's totally believable as a stupid, self-centered, spoiled slut. One can but hope the first role is closer to her real personality than the second (he said, jokingly).
Giovanni Ribisi's portrayal of Buddy Cole, specifically his scene talking to Annie in a parked car toward the end of the movie, is one of the most touching things I've ever seen in a movie.
Okay, so the murder "mystery" isn't much of a mystery. I figured out who the murderer was before the murder even took place. But that's a small gripe compared to all the good things contained within The Gift.
Movie Review: The Perfect Mix
Summary: 5 Stars
The Gift was, for me, the perfect mixing of ingredients for a film. Director Sam Raimi has never failed to please even in his intentionally campy, intentionally bad projects like Evil Dead and the Hercules/Xena TV programs. Give the man a budget and an incredible cast to work with, and I expect greatness in return. I was not disappointed. Cate Blanchett's appearance in any film is reason enough to give it a try. Her performance in The Gift is wonderful. An Australian actress most known for her role as Queen Elizabeth I, Blanchett shows that she is capable of playing any role offered her by portraying a widowed psychic from the south (the deep south). Her accent never waivers and her performance elicits nothing but the fullest sympathy from the audience.
I had mixed feelings about Giovani Ribisi's appearance in the film, considering some of his earlier film choices, but Ribisi delivers in a big way here as a rather pathetic time bomb of a character trying to remember what happened in his past to result in violent episodes of freak-out. Ready to snap at any moment, he still somehow comes across as kind and gentle because of his protectiveness for Blanchett's character, the only person who has tried to help him. I now forgive him for appearing in The Mod Squad.
If you recognize Keanu Reeves for the lackluster performer that he is, you may enjoy his portrayal of an abusive, cheating husband in this film. He gives the audience more than enough reason to hate him here. Although his acting is the weakest in the cast, his run-in with the psychotic Ribisi is one of the highlights of this picture. His performance never reaches the low levels of some of his other films like Speed, Johnny Mnemonic, or Dangerous Liasons, but I don't understand why he would be cast alongside an otherwise untouchable ensemble. Perhaps Raimi also enjoyed the scene involving Ribisi's explosive encounter with Reeves.
It is possible to guess the ending beforehand, but the movie spotlights enough suspects that it does cast doubt in the viewer's mind until the final scenes play out. If you are interested in intelligent, dark, and slightly odd films (the films of Tim Burton, David Lynch, and Stanley Kubrick come to mind), you will want to investigate this film on DVD.
If you are a big fan of horror/thrillers but can't wait for the barrage of teenie-bopper slasher films to end, this movie should be arriving at your doorstep (as it will mine) in mid-July... a perfect summer "gift."