The Gift

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.

Yeah, this was a lot of fun. I mean, the story reminds me of many others (most noticeably, Gone Girl and Side Effects) in that it's able to turn its story in more ways than one. As a very straight- forward thriller (the first half of the film) it works marvelously. Edgerton really has such a confident control of the pacing and the tone he wants the film to have, and when it switched direction, he's still able to keep the audience in their toes. What's most impressive is that this really is such a B-plot in many ways, but Edgerton goes further and really develops a thoughtful morality tale. Just when the film seems like it's going to go down the rabbit hole and not come back, he reveals another aspect of the story that puts it al in perspective. There are a few implausibilities (like someone else said, not sure if I can buy that she would be unaware of how he was for such a long time) but there are enough answers to such questions that are satisfactory and don't damage the film as a whole.

The three leads are also so fantastic. Edgerton is perfect, and Bateman also really surprising. Who knew the lead from Arrested Development (although in retrospect his character never really stayed in caricature mode really) had this in him? He has some really dramatic scenes that blew me away. Rebecca Hall is such a great screen presence so her I'm not surprised about at all. She's just great.

I think what's also really impressive about the film is that nothing comes out of nowhere. Every turn you sort of have an inkling, and you see all of the clues planted early. This may seem like a problem for many ("i totally saw that coming") but for storytelling, it's what works best in retrospect. The film at its core is really about the way our past can have consequences not just for us but for others, and the way it can also shape other people in ways you wouldn't expect. Simple, but effective.

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

Australian actor Joel Edgerton wrote, produced and directed this drama with thriller elements,. Rebecca Hall and Jason Bateman star as a married couple newly moved to Los Angeles. They run into a old high school classmate of Bateman's (Edgerton) who seems desperate to restart a friendship that Bateman can't remember them having. Hall begins to suspect that something isn't right with Edgerton and that her husband isn't telling the whole truth about their past.

This has all of the trappings of one of those late-80's "yuppie nightmare" thrillers that glutted the market for about eight years, with the upscale settings and work environments of the characters getting upset by a malignant outside force, a situation that draws the worst out of the victims. Bateman is clever casting, as he's one of the best actors in his age range at portraying borderline nice-at-heart-or-really-a-jerk characters, which here keeps the audience guessing. Edgerton is normally a very physical actor, but here he's reserved and quiet. Hall is very good as the woman at the center of this odd dynamic, and she has her own past issues to deal with. I think audiences going into this expecting a rollercoaster-ride thriller will be disappointed, and while I don't want to spoil where things go, I think it's advisable to let viewers know that this is more of a moralistic drama than a jump-scare chiller.

A psychological thriller that builds gradually, with an impressive ending! Exceeds my expectations, I tend to think of Jason Bateman as a comedy actor, but all characters we're enjoyed, as the plot thickens!