Film Diary 2015: The Gift

Sure enough, the trailer - whilst a little spoilery - doesn't quite give the full picture, though some of the other advertising is a little frustrating. So, it's at this point that I feel like I should say, if you're in the mood for an excellently performed, tightly scripted, and very tense little thriller with a dark heart and an interesting theme, then you should probably go and check out The Gift.

Otherwise, this review might give away a little too much - though I'm going to steer as clear as I can of big spoilers!

Robyn (Rebecca Hall) and Simon (Jason Bateman) are moving into a new house as Simon is starting a new job, it's also a new town for them - though Simon grew up nearby. Which means that when they're out shopping for home furnishings an old school friend, Gordon (Joel Edgerton), spots Simon and re-introduces himself.

Gordon - or "Gordo" as he likes to be known - makes an effort to welcome Robyn and Simon to the neighbourhood, though his little gifts left on the door-step are taken in different ways by the couple. Whilst Robyn sees Gordo as well meaning, Simon feels he's a little invasive and creepy.

Simon is evasive about discussing his school days with Robyn, preferring instead to try and figure out exactly what Gordo is up to now. Whilst Gordo keeps turning up at their house, saying he's looking for Simon, and finds himself getting along with Robyn, which Simon pokes fun at behind Gordo's back.

All this builds towards a difficult conversation where Simon feels that Gordo is poking his nose into their lives a little too much, and he breaks off the friendship, which prompts Gordo to make an apology that raises a whole new set of questions in Robyn's mind. From here things take a turn, and there's the question of whether they're just being paranoid or is Gordo actually up to something constantly hanging over their heads.

This kind of friend you can't get rid of thriller is a common staple, and here it's acted quite wonderfully by the three lead actors. Edgerton - who also wrote and directed the film - gives Gordo just the right level of weirdness where you can't read him, his motivations pleasingly vague for a long time. Rebecca Hall brings so much depth and character to her role which could have easily fallen into cliche, though this film is smart enough to know the conventions its playing with. Whilst Bateman twists his comedic persona into a more abrasive, aggressive and clandestine manner.

Whilst broadly I would recommend the film I found it unfortunately too constructed a thriller, that didn't really have as many surprises or as much depth as I was hoping. It bares some favourable comparison to recent revenge thrillers, especially the work of Park Chan Wook, but doesn't have the richness and substance of those films that makes them so rewarding and rewatchable.

This is a solid, twisted and dramatically strong ride, that keeps you in its clutches all the way through, and will have you talking on the way home (but do try to not say too much!), however it's a little thin once its secrets are revealed, leaving only a handful of great performances but not much else.

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