THE GIFT (R)
Released by STX ENTERTAINMENT
Reviewed by Adam Mast
The less you know about THE GIFT going in, the better, so I’m going to tread lightly in terms of plot points here. Sure, this uncomfortable (and tense) sociopath thriller has elements of FATAL ATTRACTION, SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, and PACIFIC HEIGHTS, but writer/director/co-star Joel Edgerton (WARRIOR, ANIMAL KINGDOM, THE SQUARE) puts a nifty spin on the proceedings.
In THE GIFT, Jason Bateman is Simon, an upper-class family man who has a somewhat awkward chance encounter with old high school classmate Gordo (Edgerton) while doing a little shopping with his wife, Robyn (Rebecca Hall). Before long, Gordo has ingratiated himself into Simon and Robyn’s lives by way of leaving multiple gifts on the couple’s doorstep. Simon becomes increasingly concerned for his wife’s safety as Gordo continues showing up at their house uninvited, acting like he’s their new best friend (think THE KING OF COMEDY’S Rupert Pupkin). In short, it’s evident that Simon’s old high school classmate might have a screw loose.
As an actor, Edgerton is terrific here, infusing Gordo with a creepy, stalker-prone sensibility and combining it with a lonely, sympathetic quality. It’s a nuanced turn that brought to mind the late Robin Williams’ work in the underappreciated ONE HOUR PHOTO.
As strong as Edgerton is, it’s Bateman’s work as Simon that truly dominates THE GIFT. The HORRIBLE BOSSES star is often utilized as the sarcastic funny guy, but every now and again, he’s given a role that shows us a side we haven’t seen before (see his terrific work in the underrated DISCONNECT). As a career/family man who clearly has a lot to lose, Bateman definitely plays against type here, bringing tensity and real emotion to the role. The end result is some of the best work of his career.
Rebecca Hall doesn’t fair quite as strong in THE GIFT. It isn’t that she gives a bad performance. She just isn’t quite able to rise to the level of her co-stars. At the very least, though, her Robyn has an interesting backstory, and there is a point in THE GIFT when she finally comes into her own.
As writer/director, Edgerton is to be commended for taking conventionality here and tweaking it to strong affect. THE GIFT has the moments you’ve come to expect from a movie of this nature: a creepy stalker, a sinister tone, sudden jolts, pets in peril, and so on, but it is also considerably more complex than your garden-variety stalker thriller and it’s a joy seeing how Edgerton subverts certain genre tropes. This is a movie about lies and deceit, and there’s even a bit of revenge thrown in for good measure. What’s more, THE GIFT is first and foremost a character-driven piece. It’s also quite restrained, trading in in-your-face violence and shock value for a more suggestive approach (the R-rating is mostly for language). As for the ending of THE GIFT…talk about a sucker punch!
There has been a lot of talk about the final moments of this picture, and while the ambiguous nature of it might frustrate some viewers, I would pose that the ending isn’t as ambiguous as it might appear. Not for this viewer anyway. But however you might feel about it, it’s in perfect keeping with the theme of the entire film, and I love that we are not force fed the answer to the final question THE GIFT asks. It makes for a thought-provoking finale in a very strong directorial debut. THE GIFT is a true gift for fans looking for a thriller that thinks a little outside the box.
