The Gift

One of the sleepers of 2015 is writer, director and actor Joel Edgerton’s “The Gift.” Not an uplifting, positive movie, this is a dark, thought-provoking film in which Jason Bateman’s character, Simon, meets an old high school acquaintance, Gordon (Gordo), played by Edgerton. At first, Gordo seems like just a clingy, lonely man, but he evolves into a haunting figure seeking retribution from a damaged past.

Stories should educate and elicit feelings. The Gift, among other things, teaches us the importance of being genuine while invoking pity, suspense and fear as each character’s past is revealed, layer by layer. The writing, directing and acting is impressive, even though the story is somewhat haunting.

Bateman, Edgerton and Rebecca Hall (who play’s Simon’s wife) are all flawed in their own ways and those flaws make them real and give them character.
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The Gift is a film that will make you think and feel, long after it’s over.

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