I was and still am surprised at how much I enjoyed and fondly recall this film. Some really enjoyable performances, particularly Keanu Reeves as a dark, unlikable, and abusive husband.
Very sweet film, in a way. I really like Cate Blanchett and she was great here. Giovanni Ribisi was very convincing, and Hilary Swank's hair was absolutely horrible :D
Was The Gift Sam Raimi proving he was a "safe" choice for directing Spider-Man? Raimi would revisit similar material, but make it proper balls-to-the-wall horror in Drag Me to Hell, but The Gift is merely a supernatural thriller, and a fairly quiet one at that. Apparently based on screenwriter Billy Bob Thornton's mother's psychic experiences, it has Cate Blanchett as the local fortune teller, a single mom in a rural Southern town, getting embroiled in a murder investigation. The picture looks good, but the most Raimi thing in it is possibly the anti-casting of Keanu Reeves as a disgusting wife beater. The rest of the star-studded ensemble is on more solid ground, and Blanchett is essentially the most compelling reason to watch this. It's certainly not the murder mystery, which sadly has a pretty obvious solution, even if they try to red herring the heck out of it. Nor is it for the supernatural or "horror", which doesn't really come together in a coherent way.
Marketed as a horror - definitely not a horror. Not as bad as I expected though, although I did guess whodunnit basically at the start. Worth a look if you want a supernatural mystery drama.
It's nice to hear that accent, well played, that one. Cate Blanchett does a good job, and so does Keanu Reeves, even if he's not as convincing as I hoped. But the trial. Oh my god. The trial. It's like the worst trial I've seen in a movie. What the hell were those lawyers doing...? Ugh. So, the movie, for me, is a "meh".
Add your comment
Comments 1 - 7 of 7
Servizio
I was and still am surprised at how much I enjoyed and fondly recall this film. Some really enjoyable performances, particularly Keanu Reeves as a dark, unlikable, and abusive husband.Maxahlia
Very sweet film, in a way. I really like Cate Blanchett and she was great here. Giovanni Ribisi was very convincing, and Hilary Swank's hair was absolutely horrible :DSiskoid
Was The Gift Sam Raimi proving he was a "safe" choice for directing Spider-Man? Raimi would revisit similar material, but make it proper balls-to-the-wall horror in Drag Me to Hell, but The Gift is merely a supernatural thriller, and a fairly quiet one at that. Apparently based on screenwriter Billy Bob Thornton's mother's psychic experiences, it has Cate Blanchett as the local fortune teller, a single mom in a rural Southern town, getting embroiled in a murder investigation. The picture looks good, but the most Raimi thing in it is possibly the anti-casting of Keanu Reeves as a disgusting wife beater. The rest of the star-studded ensemble is on more solid ground, and Blanchett is essentially the most compelling reason to watch this. It's certainly not the murder mystery, which sadly has a pretty obvious solution, even if they try to red herring the heck out of it. Nor is it for the supernatural or "horror", which doesn't really come together in a coherent way.timmy_501
This definitely seemed like a horror to me.blondy2323
Like someone already commented, it is not a horror movie, but a very interesting one either way. Love Cate. :)Cimeries
Marketed as a horror - definitely not a horror. Not as bad as I expected though, although I did guess whodunnit basically at the start. Worth a look if you want a supernatural mystery drama.anotheroutsider
It's nice to hear that accent, well played, that one. Cate Blanchett does a good job, and so does Keanu Reeves, even if he's not as convincing as I hoped. But the trial. Oh my god. The trial. It's like the worst trial I've seen in a movie. What the hell were those lawyers doing...? Ugh. So, the movie, for me, is a "meh".