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MOVIE REVIEW Taut, ominous 'The Gift' keeps you wondering Comment By Chris Honoré for Revels DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Aug. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Aug. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Gift; 108 min; Rated R   It’s always a challenge to write about a film while withholding most if not all of the plot, ever mindful of striking a balance that tantalizes (or discourages) the reader while still giving viewers the chance to experience the film fresh (should they choose to go). “The Gift” is definitely that kind of movie and poses exactly that kind of challenge. To write about it is to skirt around its edges, commenting and alluding but avoiding as much as possible concrete narrative content. The film’s story is purposefully vague, in a strange, elusive but not off-putting way. It is initially filled with familiar genre conventions only to gradually morph into something else entirely. It does bring to mind two films of the late '80s/early '90s, “Pacific Heights” and “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle . ” Like them, “The Gift” is suffused with a growing sense of psychological dread, initially subtle and disquieting but gradually suffused with an ominous feeling that grows ever-more relentless. What appears to be a familiar stalker film at first is far more complex and is soon haunted with an unsettling ambiguity. This sense of apprehension does use a familiar, much-used scene: that of taking a shower. Filmmakers discovered long ago that there is no more vulnerable moment for a character than standing unclothed, beneath sluicing water, all other sounds drowned out, the glass stall opaque from steam. Hitchcock used this to great effect. And it’s not a stretch to recall the naked young woman in “Jaws,” swimming late at night, away from shore, defenseless against what’s below. Writer/director Joel Edgerton understands the subtle/not so subtle impact of such scenes, but he takes this film beyond anything even hinting at an oft-used movie cliché. What also makes “The Gift” so effective are the superb portrayals by Jason Bateman as Simon, an easy-going, computer security executive, and Rebecca Hall as his fragile wife, having just experienced a personal trauma (the word miscarriage is never spoken) and is struggling to regain a renewed sense of balance. They’ve moved from Chicago to L.A. — change of scenery, change of jobs — bought a mid-century contemporary home with walls of glass and bucolic views, their new digs located in a benign neighborhood. Edgerton smartly casts himself as Gordo, an old high school friend of Simon’s. He spots the couple shopping for housewares and after exchanging hellos begins to casually insert himself into their lives, dropping off a gift or two or three. This is a taut and well-crafted story that relies on a series of surprising and unexpected moments that are far more covert than overt. Overt has become the in-your-face screenwriting standard for the psych-thriller with an often violent, graphic fight-for-survival theme. To his credit, in “The Gift,” Edgerton takes the audience in an entirely different and unexpected direction, relying on tone and foreshadowing to keep the audience wondering if these people are really who we think they are. He also includes one cogent line that frames the entire film: “You think you’re done with the past, but the past isn’t done with you.”  By Chris Honoré for Revels DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Aug. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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