The Gift (2000)
Cate Blanchett, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes
A woman with extrasensory perception is asked to help find a young woman who has disappeared.
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R, 111 min.
Directed by:
Sam Raimi
Release Date: Dec 20, 2000
DVD Release Date: Nov 06, 2001
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Flixster User Reviews
Cate Blanchett does a great job carrying this film through KC Reeves terrible redneck performance and Gio Ribisi's always compelling troubled-young-man schtick. A stellar cast? Yes. An interesting story? Mm- so-so. Worth seeing in the theater? No. De... (read more) Cate Blanchett does a great job carrying this film through KC Reeves terrible redneck performance and Gio Ribisi's always compelling troubled-young-man schtick. A stellar cast? Yes. An interesting story? Mm- so-so. Worth seeing in the theater? No. Definitely a "wait until it's at the library so you can rent it for free" kinda movie.
A smart, intriguing thriller. Not soo much a horror film, but still a solid entry to Rami's impressive career.
Didn't really think it was going to be a (jumpy) movie, but it was. Still pretty cool movie.
The Gift (2000) Annie Wilson is a young widow with three children. She has a "gift" and to make ends meet she reads cards and tells people their future. When the daughter of the area's most prominent citizen disappears, Annie is called upon by the wo... (read more) The Gift (2000) Annie Wilson is a young widow with three children. She has a "gift" and to make ends meet she reads cards and tells people their future. When the daughter of the area's most prominent citizen disappears, Annie is called upon by the woman's anxious father and fiancé to assist the police. She manages to lead them to the lake where the girl's body is to be found and the police arrest Donnie Barksdale, known to both Annie and the police as an extremely violent man. Annie continues to receive clues even after Barksdale's arrest that leads her to believe someone else is responsible. In her final confrontation with the killer, she gets assistance from an unexpected source. Annie's realistically presented emotional life helps downplay standard-issue psychic/horror elements. Sam Rami has made some good films. I especially liked âA simple Planâ with Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton helped produce this one. This film is in the vein of The 6th Sense. In this film he uses thunder and lightning, dark hallways and the lonely shadows of a cypress swamp to conjure an ambience thick with dread and ambiguity giving us lots of southern gothic feelings. What is most original about "The Gift" is the way it uses supernaturalism as a mode of psychological exploration, forcing you to suspend your skepticism and experience the confusion and vulnerability that might accompany insight like Annie's. It is predictable but involving and very well produced. Great -Cinematography and Great Acting from Blanchette Kinnear and Reeves. Playing somewhat against type, Reeves proves that he can be a good `bad' guy, giving possibly one of his best performances ever as Donnie. He very credibly conveys that sense of explosiveness lying just beneath the surface that makes his character menacing and dark, which in turn makes Donnie psychologically as well as physically threatening. It's a good job by Reeves, who deserves credit for taking on a role that is so disagreeable and insensitive. Giovanni Ribisi is also excellent. Rami makes a straightforward approach that makes for a solid tale well told tale - no huge special effects or overtly trendy stuff. Savannah, Ga. Filming/camera work does a good job of blending New South locations with traditional atmospherics involving spooky shadows, moss and other elements of the gothic south mixed with the spookiness of a fortune teller!! good movie 3 1/2 stars.
Hi, This movie was better than I thought it would be. Mostly set around a young single mom who has a gift on seeing stuff happen to people. She see stuff happen to one young woman who ends up getting murder and she tries to find out who kills her and... (read more) Hi, This movie was better than I thought it would be. Mostly set around a young single mom who has a gift on seeing stuff happen to people. She see stuff happen to one young woman who ends up getting murder and she tries to find out who kills her and it was a little bit surprise on who it was. All in all it was a interesting movie (Keanu Reeves accent was a bit much for me consider he was playing a southern guy he had the south accent a bit much) and the plot did go a bit off track but it did stay the course some what and at least this movie was better than the last movie I watch.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time.
It is a surprising film. It is a hollywood film.
However, it is done beautifully and delicately.
It has an underlying feeling of surviving heartache. The main character just takes one day at a time. G... (read more) This is one of my favorite movies of all time.
It is a surprising film. It is a hollywood film.
However, it is done beautifully and delicately.
It has an underlying feeling of surviving heartache. The main character just takes one day at a time. Gentially approaching the next item in her daily routine. The items on her agenda become quite extreme as the movie progresses, however Cate's character is such a mellow self assured one and yet delicate and sensitive. She is almost hypnotic in this role. And the music is beautiful, mid west rurual earthy, like sipping smokey tea by an open fire out in the woods.
The main story while gripping is good. Nothing more. But the trimmings through the movie are excellent. I have totally lost count of the number of times I have seen this movie.
Fantastic cast (yes, even you Keanu) really do a fantastic job bringing this movie to life.
There are lots of subtleties that make this movie shine, and a twist I honestly didn't see coming (yes I am ashamed of myself).
Blanchett is amazing a... (read more) Fantastic cast (yes, even you Keanu) really do a fantastic job bringing this movie to life.
There are lots of subtleties that make this movie shine, and a twist I honestly didn't see coming (yes I am ashamed of myself).
Blanchett is amazing as the single mother trying to make ends meet with this gift that is more curse than blessing.
Kinnear and Reeves do a wonderful job too.
The ending is predictable and unsatisfying, but it's still kind of cool to watch since it's a Sam Raimi film.
Critic Reviews
At its best The Gift evokes some of the creepy chills of To Kill a Mockingbird. And at its heart, there's Blanchett, an actress whose instincts are unerring, and dead-on.
Even if you've figured out where The Gift is headed, the actors keep you watching closely.full review
The movie is ingenious in its plotting, colorful in its characters, taut in its direction and fortunate in possessing Cate Blanchett.full review
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