The Gift (2000)

Directed by Sam Raimi

Produced by James Jacks, Stuart Rosenberg & Robert G. Tapert

Starring Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, Hilary Swank, Michael Jeter, Kim Dickens, J.K. Simmons

First up, I think Sam Raimi has progressed wonderfully as a filmmaker. Horror fans will hate me for that, but let's be honest, I'd much rather see Raimi grow and evolve as a director than churn out endless "Evil Dead" sequels only to fade into cult obscurity much like Don Coscarelli (whose career has been sabotaged by the "Phantasm" films). "The Quick & The Dead" (1995) was one of the great American Westerns of recent years, giving Sharon Stone a strong character for once (as well as an impressive US debut for Aussie Russell Crowe), and benefited from quirky supporting characters and an Alan Silvestri score that wouldn't have been out of place in a Leone oater. "A Simple Plan" (1998) showed off Raimi's storytelling abilities, an engrossing character study in greed that showcased great performances by all involved. "For Love Of The Game" (1999) was a complete turnaround for Sam (as well as his long mooted "baseball film") and, in my opinion, one of his best works. Its story of a fading baseball star (Kevin Costner) whose past is finally catching up with him, and who must face difficult life decisions for his future, held me captivated for all 138 minutes of its running time. Raimi displayed a flair for creating "real" characterisations, as well as utilising his considerable visual talents, to craft a completely involving story. Which brings me to "The Gift", the latest gem from a diversifying director.

Brixton, Georgia, is the kind of sleepy southern small-town that the movies love to perpetuate; picturesque to the eye, yet seething with southern angst, dark secrets, and dangerous red-necks. Atop this tableau is Annie Wilson (Blanchett), a widowed mother of three, who uses her psychic "gift" to provide readings for the townsfolk so as to support her family. Many turn to her for advice, spiritual guidance, counselling, or simply as a confidante. Others label her a fraud, crackpot, witch, or minion of the Devil. When she advises Valerie Barksdale (Swank) to leave her violently abusive husband Donnie (Reeves), she opens a can of worms even she, with her strong character, may not be able to face.

Whilst under the persecution and violent threats of the monstrous Donnie, she attends a meeting with school principal Wayne Collins (Kinnear), to tend issues of her disruptive eldest son. Fleetingly meeting Collins' beautiful young fiancée, Jessica King (Holmes), she is beset by an eerie premonition of impending misfortune. When Jessica turns up dead soon thereafter, Annie's visions become more terrifying, and more deadly, as they disturbingly unravel the dark secrets of Brixton. Seemingly, soon her only friend remains the well-intentioned, partially handicapped local mechanic, Buddy Cole (Ribisi), but even he harbours a tortured secret of his own. Events escalate, fingers point towards Donnie as Jessica's murderer, and the case is closed along with the steel door behind his back. Until the chilling revelation dawns upon Annie that Barksdale may indeed have actually been innocent.

With "The Gift", director Raimi continues to exhibit his consummate abilities as a storyteller, as well as coming into his own as an "actor's director". Thanks in part to Tom Epperson & Billy Bob Thornton's supernatural tinged script (purportedly inspired by Thornton's own grandmother), it is also a welcome return to his horror roots. The only real drawback to the film overall is the singular fact that the "murder mystery" element of the plot is patently transparent. Once you get past that minor hiccup, there's plenty to enjoy in this (often) disturbing southern gothic thriller. The most noteworthy facet is unreservedly the sheer overall quality, and depth, of the acting performances on display within the film's central narrative.

There's only one word for headlining Australian Cate Blanchett's performance, and that is magnificent. Blanchett first came to my attention in Cherie Nowlan's bittersweet romantic comedy "Thank God He Met Lizzie" (1997), then knocked my socks off as Elizabeth the first in Shekhar Kapur's "Elizabeth" (1998). Not only a stunningly beautiful woman, she is an actress of such versatility and range that she remains one of the brightest talents working in cinema today, and was the singular best thing in both Mike Newell's "Pushing Tin" (1999) and Anthony Minghella's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999). Under Raimi's direction she is the bright, shining beacon of security amidst Brixton's small-town façade that hides violence, bigotry, and a seething southern psychosis. At once insecure yet strong, tortured yet content, persecuted yet resonant with a wisdom beyond her years, Blanchett's Annie Wilson engages a focus so powerful that it becomes the heart of "The Gift". Blanchett is such a skilled artist, she makes the difficult art of acting look positively effortless. It is an intimate, empathetic performance that stands alone in its captivating brilliance.

But Blanchett is not the only performer whom Raimi draws an outstanding performance from. As the troubled Buddy Cole Giovanni Ribisi is truly amazing, delivering a performance of understated power and borderline madness. The final revelation of his devastating past is a tour-de-force showcase of Ribisi's considerable talents. So too, the usually wooden Keanu Reeves turns in a performance that must rate as some sort of career high by going against type as the abusive Donnie Barksdale. Reeves infuses his character with such malevolence and deep-seated brooding violence that much of his screen-time becomes intensely unsettling. Behind a uniformly outstanding cast, Raimi displays a mature and confident approach in his direction, still able to generate startling tension against his southern landscape. Jamie Anderson's cinematography underscores the machinations of Raimi's direction, painting an intense visual portrait with a surprising eye for location and composition. Christopher Young's haunting pseudo-zydeco score opens a textured sound-scape that acts as the narrative's emotional backdrop, while Peter Donen & Syd Dutton's visual effects enrich the aroma of Raimi's brew rather than overpower it. In short, southern gothic at its cinematic finest, and another impressive chapter in a story that is rapidly becoming one of success upon success for Raimi.

Wacko! Columbia wave their magic wand again (or should that be "as usual"?) to produce a transfer that can only be described as simply amazing. The widescreen 1.85 anamorphic transfer looks damn near perfect…well, actually maybe it is! If you're looking for problems in such a vibrant, pin-sharp, rich image then you're really not watching the disc for the movie, are you? It's a transfer of such amazing clarity and definition that the image almost gives the illusion of depth. Really, it's that good! You can't help but be impressed with the incredible work Columbia are doing within the medium. Audio is presented in a striking Dolby 5.1 track that works hard to impress (and does, often). Surrounds are used quite jarringly on occasions and Christopher Young's evocative score sounds incredibly haunting as it winds its way around the visuals. Without wanting to sound repetitive, this disc simply looks and sounds extraordinary.

Extras are fairly sparse, with a short 10m featurette (undoubtedly the EPK) entitled "The Gift - A Look Inside" that is a watch once then forget affair, as well as a music video for Neko Case's "Furnace Room Lullaby". Although Canadian Case's song is featured nowhere in the film (instigating much scratching of heads by its inclusion), it does make for a welcome addition in a David Lynch kind of way. Lastly, there's the theatrical trailer accompanied by trailers for Doug Liman's "Go" and Peter Yates' "Suspect" (what the…?). Nothing outstanding in the supplementals by far, but the exceptional quality of the main feature more than makes up for any misgivings one might have of the remainder of the disc.

If you want to see how far Sam Raimi has progressed since his humble beginnings, then I can't recommend "The Gift" highly enough, as it shows a filmmaker who has gone from strength to strength with consummate ease. However, if you can't get over that stumbling block that was Raimi's first film, then I believe Anchor Bay are re-releasing "Army Of Darkness" and "The Evil Dead" again. Not to say that I am not a firm fan of those earlier films, but with each successive film Raimi convinces me that he is one of the finest, often unsung, directorial talents working in America today and "The Gift" is one of the finest examples of that maturing talent.

International specifications: PAL format disc; Language options in English & Russian Dolby 5.1; Subtitle options in English, Russian, Arabic & Hindi

Review by Mike Thomason

© 2001, Icon In Black Media