”I believe that the bad things in life…they can be a gift.”
Like the saying goes…”If you want something done right, do it yourself”, which is exactly what Joel Edgerton must have been thinking, when he took on writing, directing and starring in his next film, the on-the-edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller…THE GIFT!
When Simon (Jason Bateman) and his wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall), decide to leave Chicago for a fresh start in Cali, little do they know that an old friend of Simon’s, named Gordo (Joel Edgerton) happens to live there too.
When a chance encounter brings Gordo into their lives, gifts of all shapes and sizes begin to appear, thanks to the generosity of their “socially awkward” new friend. Determined to thank this very generous man, Robyn wants to be cordial and hospitable to Simon’s “old friend”, but Simon seems to think that Gordo may want to be “something more than friends” with his beautiful wife
As Simon tries to end this so called 20 year “friendship” with “the weirdo” once and for all, Robyn finds that the relationship between her husband and Gordo may go way beyond the “just old high school chums” story Simon has been feeding her, thus forcing her to face the reality that her husband may not be “the man of her dreams” after all…
I give THE GIFT 4 out of 5 stars: If you love psychological thrillers like I do, you will want to experience first hand the multitude of twists and turns in this film ~ as some of them will absolutely boggle your mind. I am usually really good at figuring out what is around the next corner with these types of films, but I have to admit, THE GIFT will keep you guessing, right into the final frame and beyond. Edgerton is fabulous playing the super-creepy weirdo Gordo. Bateman is also superb playing the doting husband one minute. Big ol’ Bully the next, and Hall is excellent too, as the wife who is trying to get beyond a tragic event in her life, only to realize that nothing in her life is really as it seems. THE GIFT is definitely one of the better films to hit this summer, and I suggest you see it on the BIG SCREEN at a theater near you too~ Don’t wait to view this film on DVD or Pay per view ~ as you don’t want to miss out on all the screaming ~ like that which took place at the advanced screening I attended. Plus you don’t want to diminish the opportunity for others to experience your screaming as well, it’s only fair to share in the experience, you know.
Kathy Kaiser
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 