Reservations aside, The Gift is a haunting journey and worth seeing for the performances alone. Blanchett is a forceful yet calm presence, artfully engulfing her persona into that of Annie Wilson, the catalyst and emotional heart of the story. Surrounded by the emotionally needy, Annie's positive strength keeps the town's pulse beating, while her humanity leaves her exposed and vulnerable. It's a perfect fit for Blanchett, whose charisma appears limitless. The strength of the film lies is the edginess of the characters - as each comes into focus, we are drawn into his or her world and a big question mark is raised.
Nothing is predictable.
And we enjoy the myriads of shades of grey in each character. The Gift may not be as complete a work as Raimi's A Simple Plan, but impacts nonetheless. All Rights Reserved. All Rights Reserved.