The Gift
A review by Mike Shea Movie Rating: ( * * * · · ) DVD Rating: ( * * · · · )
Psychological Thriller is probably the little box the blockbuster people would put this DVD in and that is probably an appropriate place. The Gift knows it has a place and does a little bit to get outside of it, but it isn't the most original movie I have ever seen. While the plotline is a bit ho-hum, the actors do a good job and most people will be highly entertained.
Probably the best thing about The Gift is the overall environment. The movie paints the one-step-from-trailer-park environment very well. The costumes, sets and dialog all reminded me of my cousins back in Oklahoma. Just when you think the story is going to turn into an idiot plot, the characters go and do something logical. It may not help, but they do it, and that is all I ask. The greatest part of The Gift is seeing Bill and Ted.
About half way through is where The Gift starts to fall. The plot turns into a twisty turny "who-done-it" with anyone less than an IQ of 80 pulling out their pipe and London detective hat. The low point of the movie is the horrible cliche courtroom scene, where our heroine is torn apart by a lazy tongued lawyer bashing her for reading tarot cards. The courtroom rampage is soon going to be a Mike Shea movie rule, but for now, it will drop a point off even the best movies. Needless to say, the ending, though it added a bit of supernatural hocus pokus, didn't do much to lift the movie out of it's sorry state.
The DVD of the Gift is middle of the line. It has a 1.85 to 1 16x9 enhanced transfer with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. There are no extras worth watching and it seems to have a $25 pricetag, way too high for this mediocre sku. I can't think of any reason to own it.
The Gift is the type of movie I might throw into the mindless entertainment category. It wasn't great, but it wasn't awful. I'd watch it if anyone asked me to, but I don't think it is something I would run right out to see either. There are a lot of really great movies out there, and ones I would put way higher. There's also a lot of crap out there too, so don't turn this one down if your next choice is The Mummy.