Gifted
(Marc Webb)
A real surprise here, Gifted offers an engaging look at the lengths one will go for love. Despite a fairly predictable plot, the cast is charming enough to deliver an plesant drama that will have you cheering or grabbing tissues. Maybe both.
Frank is a single man raising his niece, child prodigy Mary. Frank knows her brilliance but wants to shield her from the way society treats prodigies, hopefully he can give her a normal life for a 7 year old girl. Things get complicated when a teacher notices Mary's brilliance and word spreads. Soon Frank's mother comes into the picture and demands that Mary is given the tools needed to explore her brilliance. A nasty custody battle ensues which reveals dark secrets from the family's past that no one really wants to talk about.
Much of the film's success lies with the chemistry that Chris Evans has with his on screen niece, Mckenna Grace. Mary is intelligent, but lacks the social norms a child of her age should have. Her only interactions are with her uncle, their neighbour (Octavia Spencer) and a one eyed cat. Grace manages to portray Mary as completely innocent, fun and wise beyond her years, all rolled into one cute little package. She is a strong anchor for the film and people instantly gravitate towards her. She has a likable spunk to her that sets her apart from other kids.
Chris Evans is mostly known for wearing a shield, but look at his other work and you'll find some earnest performances that may surprise you. He has the charm, the witty humour and looks, but there is so much more to him than that. Here he's a man who is out of his element, yet does what he thinks is the best thing for Mary. Is it the best thing though? Who knows, he has his reasons and uses them as firepower against his mother Lindsay Duncan, who comes in gun blazing for her own agenda. They both want what's best for Mary, they just have completely different views on that. Although, one can argue that the mother has a bit more of selfish reason for her goals, which explode in a sad scene towards the end.
Despite being predictable, Gifted is a heartwarming film that has flown under the radar and I encourage people to give it a chance.
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