The Gift [Blu-ray]

We’d never heard of The Gift, but the trailer looked interesting so this weekend my wife and I sat down to watch Justin Bateman in another turn as The Husband. We rented it and enjoyed, but often I judge films by a measuring stick of, how we liked it - were we entertained - and would I watch it again (and again). 1. Yes, we were entertained. It’s an interesting film. There was a part where my wife screamed twice (I have permission to say that), and seemed like we were headed down a more spooky path. In the end, it was just good fun and well set up suspense. Bateman is one of the known personas he imbues, but a good one. And while we learn who he is as the onion is pealed, by the end you want to hate him, yet we found we couldn’t completely. Is he the bad guy or the misunderstood guy or the damaged guy who’s learned...??? Rebecca Hall as his wife is interesting. This introvert who has her own past to get past plays well as the wife you think you know, but find there are more layers. There are even some switches in who has the power and who has the baggage... Well done. Joel Edgerton, the guy we’re supposed to hate, also does a fine turn, keeping us guessing and fluctuating between that hate and feeling bad for him. I think that’s what is most interesting here: that tennis game of back and forth volleys that is almost a perfect game. From one to the other of these three you move through emotions of like, hate, and feeling bad, only to kind of be surprised in the end... and question who really to like, hate, and feel bad for. My wife and I agreed, in the end we had mixed emotions on how we’d view it - how it felt as far as who we did like/hate/feel bad for. And it let us have a great talk about it - always a good sign of a fun movie. That said, we both felt a bit let down by the ending - it seemed a couple holes we found were too big to have been missed - they could have helped/fixed/answered the questions or given support to Bateman, but were ?ignored? and just left to fall to the ground. I mean if they were answered, we’d have the answers, and fine, leave it to the audience, except it was kind of obvious and we were left wondering why the characters didn’t just do them...In the end we were greatly entertained and kept in suspense. From that standpoint it’s a good film. The ending is good enough, but not so much we thought we couldn’t give it a 5. Yes, we would watch it again, down the road, sometime in the future... but not enough to join our library - we only buy if we know we will watch something at least 3 more times. So The Gift was giving us enough to make that list, but it was enough that we’re glad we shared the opening of The Gift - like a Christmas Day surprise - but not one we’d keep around.

Jason Bateman is at his best in this. I LOVE watching him as the foil to Goofy characters but in this, he gets his just desserts and does such a GREAT job dealing with it as a man coming apart at the seams. I’m going watch it AGAIN now. Does that tell you how much I love this movie. We can all relate to sins from our past and for this guy came back to haunt him. Can’t ask for anything more from this movie maybe just a SEQUEL!!!!! Joel Edgerton is INCREDIBLE. He’s such an Everyman- a guy you would walk by on the street and yet he’s an amazing actor and an amazing Director.Thank you!!!

I had very little knowledge of the THE GIFT before watching it, but since it was said to be a "drama, thriller, action and mystery",I had to give it a closer look and I am so glad that I did! This film is outstanding in many ways. One was definitely, the multi-talented Joel Edgerton who not only starred in the movie, but also wrote and directed it;he plays the character known as "Gordo". The other two talented actors in their own right's were Rebecca Hall, who played "Robin" and Jason Bateman, who played "Simon", Robin's husband. It starts out with Simon and Robin running into Gordo at a department store. It's all too obvious that Simon doesn't remember Gordo until a few remarks are made about High School and then Simon realizes who this guy is and he quickly tries to make introductions while walking out of the department store. Simon and his wife have moved from Chicago back to Simon's childhood town, near a big city where he has accepted a high salaried, status symbol type of job and is on the track to "making it big". BTW: This is all revealed in the first 15-20 minutes of the film.But, one of the things that drew me in immediately was the tension filled, cut-it-with-a-knife scene in the store at the very beginning of the film. It definitely sets the pace as the story evolves and reveals more and more as the film is played out. At first glance, it looks as if Robin and Simon are starting over after what looked like a miscarriage and that they're not too much different than any young couple trying to make their dreams come true, but then Gordo comes to their house, uninvited, with a bottle of wine and a card, kind of saying "let's let be bygones be bygones" which Robin clearly doesn't get and Simon acts like he has no idea what Gordo means, so they reluctantly let him in and talk about the old "High School days when Simon was BMOC" and after a short while, Gordo leaves. But, one can sense there is a lot more to this story as one watches it unfold from Robin's POV to Simon's POV to Gordo's POV.I don't want to give any more of the plot away, but this film does deliver lots of drama, plenty of suspense, action and nail-biting mystery! The characters are all extremely well developed, drawing the viewer in closer and closer, bu to what? It seems as the plot develops, we are drawn into behavior in a few of the characters that defy any reasonable explanation, as each one is exposed in ways they never would have been, if not for the meeting in the store.It's a slow burn, but is never boring as the plot gets deeper and deeper and Robin is especially questioning if she even knows THIS Simon she's with in California, what ploy or deception may Gordo be up to or is he just taking advantage of a situation from long ago and what is Simon truly capable of? We are seeing he's very controlling, but how controlling? Would he be able to create such an enigma? THIS is a brilliant and creative script and it pulls one in from the beginning and does not let go. Unpredictable, mysterious, suspenseful ? ALL of that and more.

Un des meilleurs films que j'ai vu cette annee !!! Le scenario est beton, et nous tient en haleine jusqu'a la derniere minute, des twists mais pas trop, je ne dis rien de plus pour pour gacher le suspense, mais j'ai ete impressionne par Joel Edgerton !!!

Envoi rapide et conforme à l’achat

I don’t think I’ll go as far to say that this is a Nail-Biter no way.. it’s a very good wait an see what happens.that’s for bloody sure, you have to be one step ahead or you’ll be left behind an can’t catch up.“Joel Edgerton” did a fantastic job I think for his first directing I’m not quite sure..an he pick the right couple.for his cast as well..like “Jason Bateman” an “Rebecca Hall” this story is so typical that I see this everywhere..guy thinks he can be the one that nobody suspect, but when the hammer slams down it will eventually hit the finger.I love the way the make-up of Edgerton hair..nice curls in the front..its not a gift you’ll want at your door..the past.the alternate ending is very good as well..but it would cut the movie a bit..like it the way it is..This Should Be In The Hitchcock File..Very Good Movie.Widescreen 2.40:1Runtime 110 Min.English 5.1 DTS-HD.

El producto vino impecable como siempre, vino en el dia previsto y sin ningun contratiempo. Un 10.

Écrit, réalisé et interprété par Joel Edgerton. Mon coup de coeur de 2015!