The Gift (2015)

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The Gift review.

written by Souranath Banerjee

My Ratings: 4.2/5.

‘Just because you’re done with the past doesn’t mean the past is done with you’.

gift-poster3A married couple Simon and Robyn (Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall) shifts into a new neighborhood with the prospect of a peaceful life ahead. But then Gordo (Joel Edgerton), an ex schoolmate of Simon arrives in the scene; a weird guy who seems a bit too eager to help out.

And then the sudden repetitive attempts of Gordo to become chummy ruffles Simon and Robyn’s social and personal equilibrium. And of course Simon is keen to stop such intrusions and is desperate to protect his family’s privacy.

But trust me, The Gift is not just another story of a random psycho who gets obsessed with some family and make their life a living hell. This film is much more complex and deeply rooted than that.

gift-poster2Writer/director Joel Edgerton, who also played the part of Gordo has done a good job in keeping the film away from any stereotype plot structure. 

A tensed thriller dependent on three leads and primarily based on a single location, and still manages to create the right amount of suspense with some unexpected twists that keeps the audience guessing.

So real and believable characters – Jason Bateman, generally seen as the comic guy has this time taken up a serious role and does justice to it. Rebecca Hall the wife looking for the truth is also very convincing. And then ‘Gordo the weirdo’ Joel Edgerton perfectly plays his creepy part – never going over-the-board with unnecessary dramatics.  

gift-poster1Decent camera work by Eduard Grau and crisp editing by Luke Doolan

Music by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans perfectly compliments the mood of the film.

Overall, The Gift is a film that takes it’s own pace to reveal the plot but more importantly it succeeds in making the audiences feel very uncomfortable – the signature of a good psychological thriller!

Don’t miss this one, it’s a gift indeed.

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