Testigo

Cate Blanchett's performance alone make this solid thriller worth watching. I saw her in this movie, and I became baffled as to why she wasn't considered for an Oscar nomination. She carries this film on her shoulders, and never once budges. Not only does she totally get rid of her Australian accent and perfectly don a Southern accent, but she gives a deep, powerful performance as the innocent widow, Annie Wilson, who is looked down by many in her community but simply wants to share her psychic gifts with her willing clients. Blanchett communicates great emotion with a simple facial expression.

Of course, I also have to give it up for the multi-talented supporting cast. Though most of them, with the exception of Hilary Swank, couldn't really nail down the Southern accent, they are absolutely terrific. The only actor I felt was miscast was Katie Holmes. Not only is her accent phony and over-the-top, but she just seems too young and innocent for the role. Giovanni Ribisi, on the other hand, is a revelation. I knew, ever since his breakthrough performance in "Suburbia," that he had great promise as an up-and-coming actor, but in "The Gift" he delivers his most powerful performance up-to-date. I would even argue that he deserved an Oscar nod. He constantly stirs up sympathy in his audience, despite his mental instability and momentary outbursts of anger. I was also extremely impressed with Keanu Reeves, who delivers a genuinely haunting performance. It's times like this where I just can't fathom why many people still insist on picking on Keanu, regarding him as dull and cardboard. Personally, I thought he was great ever since his emotional performance in "Permanent Record." But he better demonstrates his versatility as an actor as the abusive Donny. He made his debut, as a villain, in the throwaway thriller "The Watcher," but I found him much more haunting in this role. Plus, he sports a rugged look, totally shedding his pretty-boy image. Greg Kinnear is good and subtle, and Hilary Swank continues to flaunt her brilliant acting abilities as the vulnerable wife of Donny who constantly takes beatings from him, yet still maintains her love for him.

The story is very intriguing, revolving around a cast of colorful characters. This isn't a "scary" movie as it somewhat looks in the previews, but it is full of mystery and thrills, without cheaply going for shock value. There is a nifty twist at the end, which is credible and not thrown from left field, but the plot isn't packed with surprises. We're simply going along on an emotional journey, through the mind of our protagonist, Annie, and that's how the tension is created. Sam Raimi creates a haunting mood and Billy Bob Thornton wrote a fine script. The story is easy-to-follow, and not as mind-bending as some of these other supernatural thrillers. Just keep in mind that this is not a horror movie. But it's a good mystery and a good mood piece and a damn good film altogether.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Sam Raimi has a bit of folklore to him, at least in t horror movie circles. His story with Evil Dead is one that tells us that if you really believe in what you are doing and have an undeniable passion for it, you can succeed with an indie. Evil Dead was that film for Raimi. Now that he has bigger budgets and better casts, one could expect him to fail, but with terrific films like A Simple Plan and now this one, he proves that he does possess a gift as a film maker. The Gift takes him back to his roots as a horror director and he doesn't disappoint. The Gift is a tight, tense film with some questionable weakly written court room scenes, but take that away and you have a very effective thriller.

The Gift has an all star ensemble cast that takes everything they are given and shines with it. Cate Blanchet is awesome to watch as the small town clairvoyant that some people look upon with utter reverance and others disregard as nothing more than a Satan worshipper. Keanu Reeves is very effective as a wife abusing husband and Hilary Swank, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, Giovanni Ribisi and Gary Cole are all very good in their roles. I especially liked Reeves as the wicked wife beater. I grew to hate his character and not just because he was a wife beater, but because he was such a smug, "I'm above the law" wife beater. I like seeing the smaller and perhaps more challenging roles Reeves is taking in between his billion dollar turn as Neo.

When a local town aristocratic beauty disappears, all fingers point towards Reeves as the murderer. He was having an affair with the girl, he has a violent temper, and he has scratch marks all over him from her and most importantly she was found dead in his swamp on his property. That is pretty compelling evidence against him. Also, Annie, the clairvoyant had visions about her whereabouts being located on his property. But soon after his impending incarceration, Annie begins to have other thoughts. She thinks the wrong man has been put away and now she fears that the real killer is going to come after her.

What The Gift benefits from, besides great performances, is tight direction. Raimi shows us here why it is that he got his start as a horror director. There are at least half a dozen scenes that are tense and frightening. When Annie is having her visions of death and sees dead women in trees and in bathtubs and such, there are collective gasps of fear in the audience. And when she is visited by ghosts or visions of people, you feel the heart race a little faster. This is not to say that the film is flawless because it's not. The flaws come from the writing of the court case where there is so much heresay and such that any good lawyer would have jumped all over the defense's case. When a man is being tried for murder and your defense is questioning how you came to know where the body was, they are two different issues. Why does it matter if an elephant told you where the body was or if you happened to fish it out of the pond with a crane. The point is that the body was there and it was on the accused's property and the accused had scratch marks on his arm from the deceased. That in my book is a pretty simple case. I was disappointed with how Thorton wrote the court room scenes but that is about all I was disappointed with.

The Gift is not one of the best horror films I've ever seen, but it is an enjoyable one and if I had to compare it to another similar one to it, I would have to say that this was better than What Lies Beneath. I think Zemekis is a great director but Raimi just has that certain intangible quality about him. He can make suspense out of something when perhaps there is none there. This is worth seeing and if you are a horror fan or just like a few thrills in your film, this'll keep you entertained.

8 out of 10- a good creepy horror film with a few genuine scares and a plethora of great performances.

Firstly I need to say this isn't a horror. It's a thriller. Also it's not a fantasy movie so both of those tags should be ignored.

That doesn't mean it isn't a good movie. What's particularly good is how some of the actors play roles that ho against their usual character types.

Without a doubt Giovanni Ribissi steals the movie and plays his part perfectly.

Recommended.

In The Gift, Cate Blanchett is blessed(or cursed?) with the ability to sense things that no ordinary person can see. She is asked by the police to aid in the search of a missing person and what follows, is a journey into the supernatural. Sam Raimi knows how to set up a scene for the maximum scare potential. Honed on his Evil Dead series, Raimi lets a scene begin slowly and allows the viewer to sense the dread and feel the suspense build. There are visual tricks, interesting camera techniques and the fine performances by a very talented cast that propel this story forward. Among this cast that really stands out is Keanu Reeves. People have always complained that Reeves brings down a movie. At least some of the people I know. I prefer to think that Reeves is an underrated actor. In the role of Donny Barksdale, Reeves brings a certain menace to his character that usually isn't scene in his other roles. Barksdale isn't a creature of the night, or a space alien, but a flesh and blood creature that is capable of true evil. When you watch him, look at his eyes and you'll see a true menace lurking behind those dark brown eyes. Cate Blanchett shows that she can master just about any accent that's out there. She sounds like she's a native of the south and she has a quiet courage about her. Most notable when she's squaring off against Reeves.

All in all, The Gift is a wonderfully atmospheric thriller. It has brains and doesn't insult the viewers. It will keep you hooked up until the very end, and there are quite a few surprises throughout the film. Highly entertaining, and very spooky at times.

An interesting story line and a fine cast make The Gift a good choice, if you want some mystery and suspense on your screen. A good good mix of drama, mystery, fantasy and a slight touch of horror.