Shadows on the Wall: THE GIFT

Small-town news. Residents of Brixton get heavily involved in each other's lives (clockwise from top-left: Holmes, Swank, Ribisi, Reeves, Kinnear, Blanchett)

The Gift

dir Sam Raimi
scr Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Epperson
with Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves, Greg Kinnear, Katie Holmes, Gary Cole, Kim Dickens, Michael Jeter, Rosemary Harris, JK Simmons, Chelcie Ross
release US 20.Dec.00; UK 3.Mar.01
Paramount 00/US 2h41 4 out of 5 stars

REVIEW BY RICH CLINE

After the sentimental guck of For Love of the Game, Raimi gets his edge back--and then some. The Gift is a seriously involving dramatic thriller. We're in the Deep South, where Annie Wilson (Blanchett) is both the lynchpin and pariah of her small community; she's a psychic who, after her husband's death, reluctantly has to use her gift to support her three young sons. The whole town relies on her to cope with life, even as they think her abilities are profoundly evil. A battered wife (Swank) seeks help from her brute of a husband (Reeves). An unstable car mechanic (Ribisi) tries to cope with a childhood secret he can't quite remember. And the school principal (Kinnear) turns to her when his nympho fiancee (Holmes) goes missing.

As the story cranks up the suspense, we're drawn in to Annie's journey--a difficult internal struggle to cope with her own existence. The depth in Thornton and Epperson's script is the most remarkable thing about this film, because even as it treads a familiar supernatural thriller plot, it's actually a touching examination of one woman forced out of her shell. And Blanchett delivers another transparent, powerfully moving performance that holds the film together beautifully. Swank stands out as well, with a complex portrayal of a woman in love with her tormentor. And Reeves and Ribisi are effective in more predictable roles. Raimi directs the film expertly, cleverly playing on our expectations and drawing on the ample skills of his production team. The story's penultimate twist is a bit hard to stomach--a spurt of improbable sweetness. For a moment there we think the film has host its way. But hold on until the end, where it's cleverly integrated into the overall plot. Dark, creepy ... and surprisingly tender.
strong themes, violence, language 7.Feb.01

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