Rating: 
Summary: Good film, with some lengthy part in the middle
Review: This is a good film to watch at home. I really like the story although the english accent is sometimes hard to understand for non-english natives. The film has a lot of suspense although in the middle it is alittle bit lengthy.
Rating: 
Summary: Scary, but not much more
Review: Billy Bob Thornton co-wrote this Sam Raimi film about a woman, played by Oscar nominee Cate Blanchett, ("Elizabeth"), with a gift for seeing the future, who ends up involved in a murder plot after "seeing" clues leading the police to the culprit. Keanu Reeves plays the villain, a voodoo-fearing hick, and he's, well, Keanu Reeves with a beard. He's not in the film that long, thankfully. Katie Holmes plays elementary school principal Greg Kinnear's slutty little belle fiancée, Hilary Swank is great as Keanu's battered wife, and Giovanni Ribisi once again gives his all in a remarkably powerful little role as a slightly schizo mechanic. Ribisi's performance recalls that of James Dean in "Giant" as he mumbles his way through his conversations with Blanchett, whom he is clearly fond of. He is a kinder version of Peter Stormare's heartless Gaear Grimsrud in "Fargo," with his darkened, sunken eyes and blondish hair. He's just about the best part of the film. At its best, "The Gift" is genuinely scary, in a "The Sixth Sense" sort of way, and Blanchett's performance and Thornton and Tom Epperson's script make this more than just a standard thriller. At its worst, it is just a standard thriller, which, though scary and intriguing, doesn't leave you with anything special or new, and doesn't really stand out from the rest.
Rating:
Summary: Katie Holmes is SMOKIN' !!!!
Review: ...First of all, let me say that the gift is a very well done movie. The imagery in the movie is really good and the plot line is somewhat original and well thought out. The ending is a little predictable but is still exciting. In relation to the cast: The best performace award for this movie has to go to Giovanni Ribisi for an excellent performance. Keaunu Reeeves is really good as well and Cate Blanchet is really believable...
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie
Review: i thought this movie was absolutely hilarious. A laugh riot!! there were some geniunely comical moments.... funny stuff. Another hilarious movie from the farrerly brothers!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Southern Gothic murder mystery
Review: This one had me engrossed right from the swamp scenes in the opening credits. Well acted by Blanchett, Ribisi, and Kinnear; a fine score by Christopher Young setting the atmosphere; genuine suspense and good storytelling -- it was one of the better movies I've seen on DVD this year. I liked the way the possible suspects all seemed to be good candidates for the murder -- I really wasn't sure who it would be until the killer was finally revealed. When Ms. Blanchett has her "visions," those sequences were all subtle and put together very cleverly (well integrated within the story). The one possible exception was the pond-side sequence (the murder flashback vision), which I thought veered a little too close to a made-for-TV flashback approach. Otherwise, there were very many things RIGHT about this picture: Mr. Ribisi was amazing in portraying the disturbed man, the settings were authentic (it was filmed on location in Georgia), and even the Southern accents sounded real! The DVD extras are modest but interesting, including a short featurette and a music video.
Rating:
Summary: A "gift" from the movie gods!
Review: It's a rare treat to sit down to a movie that winds the chord of suspense and never stops, not even after it's all over. That's what so special about "The Gift," a pyschic thriller about a woman who, through an extraordinary power, becomes the only witness to a crime she never even saw. But the movie is more than a thriller with brains: it's also a character study, digging deep into its characters, their motivations, and what drives them to do the things they do. Many will think that the film attempts to deal with too much at once; I happen to think it's one of the best pictures of the year. The movie takes its time in introducing us to the characters, which allows itself to set the stage for events that will take place later. Cate Blanchett, in her best role since "Elizabeth," is Annie Wilson, widowed mother of three who lives in a small town and raises her three boys on social security money from her husband's death, and by reading fortunes for those who come to her. Her visions, however, are not always kind, nor do they always come during a session. Upon meeting the school principle, Wayne Collins (Greg Kinnear), and his fiancee, Jessica (Katie Holmes), Annie gets an uneasy feeling, not to mention a few intense images. Soon, Jessica turns up missing, but not before the movie leaves us many clues that will lead to pointing fingers at various characters. Each character can be considered a suspect: Donnie Barksdale (Keanu Reeves), in whose pond the victim's body was found; his wife, Valerie (Hilary Swank), who admits to having bitter thoughts about Jessica for having slept with her husband; prosecutor David Duncan (Gary Cole), whom Annie caught having an affair with the victim... the list goes on. In a completely engrossing twist of events, things get harried after Donnie is arrested for the murder of Jessica, and is soon put away after being found guilty at his trial. But still, Annie cannot shake the feeling that, after all that has passed, there is still some stone that has yet to be turned. And through it all, Annie remains a stable and defiant woman, and under the acting of Blanchett, she is made all the more believable. As with her character Queen Elizabeth, Blanchett takes a forceful approach with the role, portraying her as a loving mother and a woman who refuses to give in to those who would intimidate her simply because of her gift. Even in the most intense sequences that take place in Annie's mind, through all the fear on her face, there is still that small degree of strength that makes Blanchett such a believable actress. All around, the performances from the rest of the cast are stellar, one of the best ensemble casts for a motion picture in the year 2000. Actors Greg Kinnear, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank, and Giovanni Ribisi, are able to infuse a certain aura of mystery about into their characters, which is important when it comes to trying to solve the movie's many twists and mysteries. Each of the characters possesses an emotional instability that the film portrays. Valerie Barksdale feels alone and empty after her husband's imprisonment, even though he profusely beat her before his arrest. The town sheriff claims to disbelieve in fortune telling, but cannot deny the strange circumstances that lead to the discovery of the victim's body. And Buddy Cole (Giovanni Ribisi) is haunted by a childhood experience that will play a later role in the movie. The movie makes the right decision by bringing out the emotional depth of its various characters rather than keep them on the sidelines as the mystery surrounding the murder unfolds. The film's many twists and mysteries are some of the most intricately woven of any movie I've seen. Each twist is like a scream in the night, all leading up to a climax that is somewhat subtle yet very impacting. Throughout the movie, I was not without that tight feeling in my stomach as I watched in anticipation of what would happen next; it's very rare that a movie can have such an effect on me. For all of its brilliance, "The Gift" receives four stars, resting on a very involving whodunit mystery with a psychic twist and a story that stays in tune with each of its characters. Like it's main protagonist, the movie has a gift of examining each person, and weaving them into the mystery to keep its secrets hidden until the end. It may not win many awards, but it has won my heart.
Rating:
Summary: Oh WOW THE CAST!!
Review: Cate Blanchett!! Giovanni Ribisi!! Keanu Reeves (yes, even Keanu Reeves!)!! Hilary Swank!! My old favorite second banana, Greg Kinnear!! I almost passed out just watching this movie for the acting alone. This movie, not the "greatest movie ever made", but very entertaining none the less, has the cast from HEAVEN. I mean, these people know what the heck they are doing in every scene. How refreshing. Cate Blanchett plays a small town southern widow who possesses the "Gift" of second sight, and she picks up money to support her kids by reading cards for the locals. Because, due to this, she is intimate with so many people in town, and because she apparently was blessed with a giving nature and natural kindness, she becomes embroiled in a messy set of life problems: wife abuse (Keanu Reeeves looking sinister in a beard, and Hilary Swank looking like a sort of anorexic Erin Brockovich-type character), mental disintegration (Giovanni Rubisi in a kickbutt performace--keep your eye on him--he is awesome), and finally, a nasty murder case involving the town slut. Some of the shooting and the dream sequence scenes are really quite scary, and I think the direction by Sam Raimi had a lot to do with the quality of this film, which could have gone under with nothing to offer, but...oooo that cast. If you want to see fine acting, rent this movie. It knocked my platform mules off and actually got me excited. I'll be waiting for the next film with Rubisi in it, and also Blanchett. This much is certain.
Rating:
Summary: Strong performances, neat score, and pretty suspenseful
Review: The Gift is a little slow getting going, but it becomes rather suspenseful. The characters are well portrayed and interesting, even if they are a bit stereotyped. Cate Blanchett is masterful, as usual. Greg Kinnear gives a very subtle, detailed performance, also as usual. The ending is a little predictible, but, oddly enough, it doesn't really detract from the suspense. The fiddle-based score is enchanting and a little creepy. Overall a satisfying movie experience.
Rating:
Summary: The Gift
Review: Wow! Well this is one of the Movies I can compare to "Requiem for a Dream"! It's just great! Kate, Greg, Katie and Hillary all've done great work!
Rating:
Summary: You've Never Seen Keanu Like This!
Review: "The Gift" is a quiet movie with strong performances, especially from my favorite person in the universe, Keanu Reeves. Here he plays a wife-beating redneck who can be polite and charming one minute, and terribly violent the next. He does a startling turn in this one, as do many others, including Greg Kinnear, Katie Holmes, and Giovanni Ribisi. Cate Blanchett is fine as a psychic in a small town, using her gift to help support her and her children since the death of her husband. Facing harrassment from Reeves' Donnie Barksdale, as well as being ridiculed in open court, Blanchett's Annie is quietly strong, yet somewhat fragile when it comes to her startlingly horrific visions. The setting is perfectly creepy (it was filmed in Savannah, GA,) and the film has a nice surprise ending, somewhat akin to "The Sixth Sense." I highly reccomend "The Gift."
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