|
Review by Susan Granger
3 stars out of 4
Written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, this gothic
Southern mystery revolves around a single, widowed mom (Cate
Blanchett) in Brixton, Georgia, who "reads" cards, using her
genetically-inherited psychic insight to help her emotionally needy
friends and neighbors. Primary among these is a severely disturbed
garage mechanic (Giovanni Ribisi) who is tormented by childhood
memories of sexual abuse by his father and a desperate, battered wife
(Hilary Swank) whose face and body bear the marks of her husband's
unbridled temper. "You've got to get legal help," Cate counsels
her. But when Hilary's philandering husband (Keanu Reeves) calls Cate
a "Satan worshipper" and begins to terrorize her family, it's her
teenage son (Lynnsee Provence) whose emotional scars over the death of
his father burst open, causing behavior problems at school. That's
where Cate meets the principal (Greg Kinnear) and his sexy, socialite
fiance (Katie Holmes) who is curious about Cate's psychic gift. "I'm
not a fortune-teller," Cate protests. But when the spiteful,
duplicitous Katie mysteriously disappears, it's Cate's telepathic
"visions" that help the skeptical police track down the
culprit. Intuitive director Sam Raimi ("The Evil Dead," "Darkman"), a
master of spine-tingling, supernatural horror, uses surreal imagery
and disconcerting camerawork to augment the psychological terror. Cate
Blanchett delivers a subtle, nuanced performance, where guilt about
not being able to "forecast" her own husband's death lurks below the
surface. Keanu Reeves takes a real chance as a cruel, redneck type and
pulls it off creditably. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "The
Gift" is a chilling, haunting 7. "I see things and I sense things,"
says Cate. Problem is: I sensed whodunit far too soon.
Copyright © 2001 Susan Granger
|
