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Joel Edgerton’s The Gift stands as an extremely impressive directorial debut, as well as being an atmospheric and smart thriller that keeps the viewer guessing all the way.
It’s always fun to see an actor’s directorial debut. Can they really handle the world behind the lense? Or should they remain in front of the camera instead? A lot of times, the actor’s directorial debut is a flop. A lot of times, we leave the theater saying “Yeah, they should probably remain in front of the lense, not behind it.” But every once in a while, there’s a film that stands out. A film that makes audiences wonder “Do I like him better as an actor, or a director?” These films are rare, but exist nonetheless. The Gift is one of these films. Joel Edgerton has displayed a lot of impressive talent with this film. When watching the film, if I hadn’t known this was a directorial debut, I would have guessed that this was a film made by an experienced director who has had many years behind the camera. I’ll speak more about Edgerton’s direction later on in the review, but for now let’s move on to story.
Simon and Robyn (Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall), a middle aged couple, moves into a very nice house near where Simon grew up and went to school. While out shopping one day, an old acquaintance of Simon from high school nicknamed Gordo (Joel Edgerton) engages him in the “Remember me?” conversation. This leads to a long string of uncomfortable events, where Gordo has overstayed his welcome, and comes off as, well, a little creepy. At the same time though, Gordo is a rather sad and seemingly lonely character, and you feel a little bad for him. Things escalate, and the story unfolds beautifully as Gordo’s behavior becomes stranger, and creepier. I don’t want to give much away, but the story is very well paced and tense.
The story of The Gift is, at first, a familiar one. Not so much familiar in terms of being similar to other films (although One Hour Photo does come to mind at times), but familiar in terms of something I think we’ve all experienced. We all know what it’s like to have a friend that we don’t want to hang around with as much, and who seems to butt in to our lives uncomfortably from time to time. We don’t like hanging out with this person, but at the same time we would feel bad cutting them off from our lives. This is one of the main themes of The Gift, and it provides a lot of tension, especially in the first part of the movie. Edgerton is a very talented writer, and lets the story unfold naturally, and never rushes things. He let’s the story sink in, and builds a great atmosphere and mood in the first half of the film, letting you get familiar with the characters, and slowly building the suspense, bit by bit. To some, it may be a little slow at the beginning, but I personally loved it. It really gives the viewer a chance to get into the story and let the tension build. Once the story really gets going, you’re hooked, and you can’t look away. Let’s talk about acting.
I always knew Jason Bateman had talent in dramatic acting. But, I never truly appreciated him as a dramatic actor, until this film. Bateman does great all around in this movie. He’s great in the quiet and subtler scenes, and in scenes just the opposite he shines too. And yes, he has brief funny moments too, and of course he delivers there.
Rebecca Hall is in the movie much more than I expected, and I might even say that she was the main character of the film. Since we spend so much time with her, a good performance is necessary, and she provides it. We feel for her, and in the numerous scenes where she’s in the house alone, the audience feels as vulnerable as she does. It’s a nerve racking experience, and she does a great job being a sympathetic character that the audience cares for.
And last but not least, Joel Edgerton. Edgerton’s performance is very subtle, and very subdued, but he completely pulls it off. He perfectly balances being the pathetic character that we feel bad for, and the creepy guy who may or may not be a threat. When he’s in the house with Robyn alone, you are completely on edge. He plays the character so well that I think audience members will be very conflicted in deciding whether he’s a threat or just a little socially awkward. His performance is fantastic in this, and if you can’t think of a reason to see this film, at least see it for Edgerton’s performance.
Now, I’d like to talk a little more about Edgerton’s direction of this film, and why I am so impressed by it. A lot of times, first time directors love to be as flashy as possible, and sort of have an attitude of “Look what I can do.” That is not at all what Edgerton does. The film is never flashy or over edited. The film overall shows that Edgerton is patient with his filmmaking, and pays very close attention to detail. The acting is all spot on, and it’s obvious that Edgerton really knows how to work with actors and get the performances he needs out of them. The camerawork also shows a good eye. Whether it be from the director of photography, or the director himself, the camerawork is very understated and calm. It shows a way of filmmaking where the director keeps the camera rolling and lets the actors and the story unfold. Edgerton has the eye of an experienced director, who is patient and humble and doesn’t care about impressing others with his skills as a director, but cares about the film and the story, and making them both as good as possible. I’m probably one of few people who feels this strongly about it, but I think that if Edgerton keeps this up and continues to write and direct, he could be one of the greatest actor/directors of his time, ranking with Eastwood and Clooney. I think this film marks the start of a promising career for Edgerton in front of and behind the camera, and I hope to see a film of his again soon.
There’s not much else I can say about The Gift, so I’ll just say this: if you want to see a good thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then go see this film. I highly recommend it.
Joel Edgerton’s The Gift stands as an extremely impressive directorial debut, as well as being an atmospheric and smart thriller that keeps the viewer guessing all the way.
It’s always fun to see an actor’s directorial debut. Can they really handle the world behind the lense? Or should they remain in front of the camera instead? A lot of times, the actor’s directorial debut is a flop. A lot of times, we leave the theater saying “Yeah, they should probably remain in front of the lense, not behind it.” But every once in a while, there’s a film that stands out. A film that makes audiences wonder “Do I like him better as an actor, or a director?” These films are rare, but exist nonetheless. The Gift is one of these films. Joel Edgerton has displayed a lot of impressive talent with this film. When watching the film, if I hadn’t known this was a directorial debut, I would have guessed that this was a film made by an experienced director who has had many years behind the camera. I’ll speak more about Edgerton’s direction later on in the review, but for now let’s move on to story.
Simon and Robyn (Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall), a middle aged couple, moves into a very nice house near where Simon grew up and went to school. While out shopping one day, an old acquaintance of Simon from high school nicknamed Gordo (Joel Edgerton) engages him in the “Remember me?” conversation. This leads to a long string of uncomfortable events, where Gordo has overstayed his welcome, and comes off as, well, a little creepy. At the same time though, Gordo is a rather sad and seemingly lonely character, and you feel a little bad for him. Things escalate, and the story unfolds beautifully as Gordo’s behavior becomes stranger, and creepier. I don’t want to give much away, but the story is very well paced and tense.
The story of The Gift is, at first, a familiar one. Not so much familiar in terms of being similar to other films (although One Hour Photo does come to mind at times), but familiar in terms of something I think we’ve all experienced. We all know what it’s like to have a friend that we don’t want to hang around with as much, and who seems to butt in to our lives uncomfortably from time to time. We don’t like hanging out with this person, but at the same time we would feel bad cutting them off from our lives. This is one of the main themes of The Gift, and it provides a lot of tension, especially in the first part of the movie. Edgerton is a very talented writer, and lets the story unfold naturally, and never rushes things. He let’s the story sink in, and builds a great atmosphere and mood in the first half of the film, letting you get familiar with the characters, and slowly building the suspense, bit by bit. To some, it may be a little slow at the beginning, but I personally loved it. It really gives the viewer a chance to get into the story and let the tension build. Once the story really gets going, you’re hooked, and you can’t look away. Let’s talk about acting.
I always knew Jason Bateman had talent in dramatic acting. But, I never truly appreciated him as a dramatic actor, until this film. Bateman does great all around in this movie. He’s great in the quiet and subtler scenes, and in scenes just the opposite he shines too. And yes, he has brief funny moments too, and of course he delivers there.
Rebecca Hall is in the movie much more than I expected, and I might even say that she was the main character of the film. Since we spend so much time with her, a good performance is necessary, and she provides it. We feel for her, and in the numerous scenes where she’s in the house alone, the audience feels as vulnerable as she does. It’s a nerve racking experience, and she does a great job being a sympathetic character that the audience cares for.
And last but not least, Joel Edgerton. Edgerton’s performance is very subtle, and very subdued, but he completely pulls it off. He perfectly balances being the pathetic character that we feel bad for, and the creepy guy who may or may not be a threat. When he’s in the house with Robyn alone, you are completely on edge. He plays the character so well that I think audience members will be very conflicted in deciding whether he’s a threat or just a little socially awkward. His performance is fantastic in this, and if you can’t think of a reason to see this film, at least see it for Edgerton’s performance.
Now, I’d like to talk a little more about Edgerton’s direction of this film, and why I am so impressed by it. A lot of times, first time directors love to be as flashy as possible, and sort of have an attitude of “Look what I can do.” That is not at all what Edgerton does. The film is never flashy or over edited. The film overall shows that Edgerton is patient with his filmmaking, and pays very close attention to detail. The acting is all spot on, and it’s obvious that Edgerton really knows how to work with actors and get the performances he needs out of them. The camerawork also shows a good eye. Whether it be from the director of photography, or the director himself, the camerawork is very understated and calm. It shows a way of filmmaking where the director keeps the camera rolling and lets the actors and the story unfold. Edgerton has the eye of an experienced director, who is patient and humble and doesn’t care about impressing others with his skills as a director, but cares about the film and the story, and making them both as good as possible. I’m probably one of few people who feels this strongly about it, but I think that if Edgerton keeps this up and continues to write and direct, he could be one of the greatest actor/directors of his time, ranking with Eastwood and Clooney. I think this film marks the start of a promising career for Edgerton in front of and behind the camera, and I hope to see a film of his again soon.
There’s not much else I can say about The Gift, so I’ll just say this: if you want to see a good thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then go see this film. I highly recommend it.