The Travelling Toe: "The Gift" (movie critique)

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

"The Gift" (movie critique)

A friend and The Travelling Toe met at the local multiplex to see an early evening showing of "The Gift".

The movie stars Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall as husband and wife Simon and Robyn. As the story begins, Simon and Robyn are looking for a house in the Hollywood Hills area having just relocated from Chicago. Simon is starting a new job with lots of future opportunities. Robyn is an interior designer who plans to work from home for her company in Chicago. They are also hoping to start a family, having previously lost a baby while living in Chicago.

After finding the perfect house they begin to furnishing it. While out purchasing items for the house, Simon runs into an old "friend", Gordon (Gordo) Mosley, played Joel Edgerton. They attended high school together and have some sort of past history. After some small talk and a fast retreat, Simon tells Robyn he does not remember Gordon. But Gordon has not forgotten Simon at all, as we shall find out later in the movie.

Gordon leaves a bottle of wine to welcome the couple to the neighborhood. Soon, he starts dropping by unannounced, usually when Simon is at work and Robyn is alone. Simon becomes increasingly upset that "Gordo the Weirdo", as he was know in school, shows up unexpected and uninvited to their home and into their lives.

As the story continues we learn that Simon is not the nice guy seems to be. There are some unresolved issues between Gordon and Simon from high school days. As Gordon says to Simon, "You may be done with the past, but the past isn't done with you" and Simon must pay for his sins. And as for the "The Gift" sometimes it takes 9 months for a gift to arrive. Think about it!

Side Note: Joel Edgerton not only stared in this movie but he also wrote and directed it.

The Travelling Toe gives this movie 2 middle toes up with big red bows.

The cast: