Smart, uncompromising and timely, Joel Edgerton’s excellent new thriller “The Gift” is a sly little film that mirrors its main character in all the best ways.
Unassuming and deceptive, the movie slowly sucks you in, leading the viewer down what seems a familiar path, only to play against expectations, shunning the more sensational aspects of the genre to ultimately deliver a humanistic tale of abuse and its effects on both the victim and perpetrator.
An exercise in psychological terror, “The Gift” is a potent reminder that the sins of the past are often never truly laid to rest. While Gordo may insist — ironically — that “it’s really important to not look back,” this sort of denial only compounds the potential harm that may befall us if we refuse to acknowledge and rectify our mistakes.
Powerful and haunting, “The Gift” will resonate with viewers far after the final credits roll, as its climax features the greatest offense, that of trespass of the mind, body and soul, leaving its characters irreversibly damaged. Edgerton goes for broke here, and it results in one of the best films of the year.
For a full review, go to: http://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2015-08-06/chuck-koplinski-haunting-gift-one-years-best-surprises.html
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