At the urging of my brother, I decided to move up the film,’The Gift’, on my queue of movies to watch. I’m so glad I did as this is one of those hidden gems that will go unnoticed by the public until it comes out on Blu-ray. This is a B-movie genre film that rises above its’ station to deliver a well crafted and intelligently thought out thriller. In this day and age of over the top action, briskly paced stories, and formulaic paint-by-numbers genre films, it’s nice to have a film that takes its’ time crafting a story where the viewer is taken in and doesn’t know where they will be transported.
Joel Edgerton is the writer and director, but also the lead antagonist, so my hats off to him for this personal project that he delivers with skill and vision. The story centers around a married couple, Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) moving back to California and running into an old acquaintance, Gordo (Joel Edgerton) from Simon’s past. Gordo's social awkwardness to reconnect with Simon charms Robyn, but Simon is uncomfortable by this mysterious person from his childhood. However, even Robyn becomes uneasy as random gifts start appearing on their doorsteps as well as Gordo himself, but Robyn’s sense of social protocol requires her to at least invite Gordo over for dinner. The tension rises as Gordo’s interest intensifies, while never quite crossing any boundaries. Sometimes you just know something is creepy without ever being able to put your finger on it.
For anyone who lived through the 1980’s, who would have thought that Jason Bateman would have become more well known than his sister, Justine (of Family Ties fame). Not only has he become more famous, but he has demonstrated that he is a versatile and gifted actor who is able to do everything from comedy to dark thrillers (and anything in between). If this were any other type of film, I would say that Jason had a shot at an Academy Award for his portrayal of this nuanced role. I’m frustrated that I cannot write more about this film without giving away too much of the twists and turns, but I will say that this film takes you in directions you don’t expect. And as I stated earlier, it is in no hurry to take you there. As the story slowly and artfully unfolds, you begin to reassess your assumptions of who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist. Do these terms really even apply? Is the victim always the innocent and is the predator always in the wrong? One thing I will reveal is that by the end of the film, I still don’t have the answer to those questions.
Joel Edgerton demonstrates the skill of a craftsman as he seeks to draw out the tension as long as possible as he slowly reveals his vision for what is actually going on. The theme of a wife not really knowing the true nature of her husband is a well treaded plot device, but Edgerton is able to make it seem fresh as the horror of Robyn discovering what her husband is really capable of begins to dawn on her. I would imagine it must be difficult for Edgerton to direct himself in this role as Gordo, but he captures the essence of someone who seems nice on the surface, but has an unidentifiable creepiness to him. Still, as the story unfolds, even though the creepiness and the danger remain, we do begin to feel empathy if not sorrow for Gordo. That takes skill from a story teller not to sacrifice core character traits in order to achieve a plot point. Edgerton is able to take tension and make it build, while never letting it snap. It’s excruciating, but that is part of the fun.
If you like thrillers in the vein of ‘Fatal Attraction’, then I highly recommend this film. Not every film has to be a mega blockbuster to be worthy of being made and ‘The Gift’ illustrates that point. I have to believe there is still a market for the art of story telling and character development. From that sense, ‘The Gift’ is a gift for those who seek that out. I recommend this as a date movie, but you might be taking a second look at the person you are with once you walk out of the theatre.
I give this film *** 1/2 stars
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