The Gift Review (2015)

The Gift 

  The Gift is directed by Joel Edgerton, produced by Joel Edgerton, written by Joel Edgerton, and acted in by Joel Edgerton. Can you say multi-faceted dude?  

  While the trailer isn't a great representative of the film, turns out this is one to see. Because this is Edgerton's first movie and he wore many different hats for it, I am going to talk about him first. I am a big fan of Edgerton's work in one of my all time favorite movies, Warrior, and I thought he was good in Exodus, despite the movie being not so good. Because he has such a teddy bear face, I wasn't confident he could pull off the role of someone intimidating/scary, even with the rapist mustache. Let me tell you though, he proved me wrong. He has such an unassuming way about him and he really committed to this character. His subtle, subdued performance makes you uneasy, but at the same time, you kind of feel sympathetic for the guy. Edgerton's directorial debut is quite the achievement. It's a very well shot film and it is masterful at building tension. 

  Rebecca Hall is the center lead of the film and she did great as I expected, but what I was extremely impressed with, was Jason Bateman's performance. Seeing though he usually acts in comedic roles, it was surprising to see him nail such a dramatic, three-dimensional character.

  The Gift is really a conversational piece and when it's over, there are a lot of layers you can pull back and appreciate. I really really enjoyed this film. 9 out of 10 stars. (I'd Buy It On Blu-ray)