The Gift

It's good to see Jason Bateman not be the perfect gentleman in a film for once

Simon Callum (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are married with a new house. They've moved from Chicago back to his home town. He has a new high-powered job. One day, they run into Simon's high school classmate Gordo Moseley (Joel Edgerton). Gordo starts insinuating into their lives making Simon very uncomfortable and leading to a secret from the past.

This has great creepiness right from the start. In the beginning, it seems to be coming from Edgerton and the desolated nature of the film. Then it morphs and spreads beautifully. Edgerton has some great weird vibes. Jason Bateman has this douche side to his roles sometimes. Surprisingly, he brings physicality and is believable in his strength over Edgerton. This is a terrific twist on a story that could have easily been little more than a Lifetime movie.

Here's a surprise: The Gift is a mature thriller that's more complex and classy than the trailers suggest. I don't know what caused the marketing department to make the film look like such a second-rate, cheap, predictable thriller that somehow had gotten ahold of talented actors, but now we know the truth. As Joel Edgerton's directorial debut, it's impressive, considering the sense of craft going on behind the camera. The cinematography is gorgeous and the pacing is that of a slow burn, but it's never dull. The premise is also deceptively simple, turning more intricate and involving as the film progresses.

Edgerton, who also wrote the screenplay, refuses to adhere to genre conventions, constantly subverting audience's expectations on how the story plays out. Red herrings, plot twists, shifting perspectives, and moral ambiguity ensue, but they never feel cheap. Like the best thrillers, The Gift evolves naturally and realistically. Edgerton and Rebecca Hall are great, but it is Jason Bateman who impresses. As a natural comedian actor, he plays one of his rare, serious roles to terrific effect. But I digress. You should go into this film with a clean slate, but know that it is a rare, intelligent thriller that doesn't cheat or spoonfeed its audience. And in that regard, Joel Edgerton has given us a gift, indeed.

The gift isn't much of a gift at all. The gift to me was when I discovered Joel Edgerton is not only Gordo, the creepy stalker in the film, but also the writer/director of the piece. Wow! He certainly does a great job. Most directors might gravitate toward a role in their film that is endearing to the audience, Gordo couldn't be any further from that sort of character. Things that go bump in the night can usually be explained away. If you were in Simon and Robyn's case, you might find out your explanations are incorrect months or years later. So what were those creepy bumps for Simon and Robyn? Edgerton's script shows they are part of a larger, much darker, horrific beyond an R rated gift. You'll be surprised at the twist.

Robyn and Simon have just moved in to a posh 60's retro home and are settling in as a married couple. They receive numerous visits from Gordo who says he knew Simon in High School. We get the feeling their relationship was more ominous in nature than it appears to Robyn, who Gordo starts to form a platonic relationship with. Through a course of events, the film becomes a typical stalker thriller but eventually sets itself apart as a very clever, well written, and telling "human nature" account of who everybody "really" is (not just Gordo).

I really liked "The Gift" because I enjoy psychology. As the tale unravels we actually see perspectives we aren't meant to see. The obvious hero is far from it and the villain, while never a hero, becomes someone we can empathize with, though never fully. I thought the cast was amazing and the story really stays with you because of their performances. Jason Bateman does a great job in this thriller whereas he usually plays comedy parts. He can do a variety of roles. It's a perfect thriller but I thought it did take too long developing the story. I think it's over 2/3 of the way through before the typical stalker thriller stuff ends and you get into the genius of the film. For that reason it lost a star with me. Watch this creepy fun movie, I recommend it.

Joel Edgerton's directorial debut is a solid thriller about the sins of the past. It's sleek, smart, and well-acted. The climax is well thought out and justifies the slow buildup. It's the perfect resolution to the story and makes you wonder how your past might one day come back to affect your future.