- Actors: Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes, Keanu Reeves, Giovanni Ribisi, Greg Kinnear
- Directors: Sam Raimi
- Writers: Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Epperson
- Producers: Gary Lucchesi, Grant Curtis, Gregory Goodman, James Jacks, Richard S. Wright
- Format: PAL
- Language English
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: 15
- Studio: Warner
- DVD Release Date: 17 Sep 2001
- Run Time: 111 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00005BCEX
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 12,388 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
No one was better suited than Sam Raimi to fulfil co-writer Billy Bob Thornton's vision of The Gift. This supernatural whodunnit is set in the wooded and swampy Southern US town of Brixton, Georgia, which is altogether familiar territory for the director of the Evil Dead movies and producer of the TV series American Gothic. Raimi skilfully builds a sense of tension and unease, using his camera initially with pleasing restraint before letting rip with skewed angles and unpredictable editing effects in a series of disturbing dreams. These belong to local "Fortune Teller" Annie (a mesmerising Cate Blanchett), who "witnesses" the murder of a local good-time girl in her nightmares. As clues and red herrings pile up, it should become obvious that this is a tale more about people and place than plotting and the paranormal. After A Simple Plan it's clear that Raimi has become a mature film-maker as capable of handling psychological horror as he is at providing shocks. The top-notch ensemble cast give wholly believable performances, making the small-town setting and spooky events come alive superbly. Giovanni Ribisi and Keanu Reeves are ticking timebombs of problems, while Hilary Swank and Greg Kinnear are pathetic yet sympathetic bystanders. This is a movie of startling visions both in front of the camera and behind.
On the DVD: The deliberately diluted colour looks great in the 1:85:1 widescreen ratio. Swamp oaks loom tall and shadowy while streaks of sunlight pick out the brighter end of the spectrum. A Dolby Digital 5.1 track does justice to the dream sequence sound effects and Christopher Young's score dominated by scratch violin. The typical body of extras are included: a trailer, over-the-top TV and radio spots, but surprisingly no biographies for such a stellar cast. The "Making of" featurette is the usual clip-dominated TV promo and is seven minutes, not the advertised 10. Far better is a selection of interviews with Blanchett, Raimi (in constant suit and tie), Kinnear, Ribisi, Swank and Reeves. This is much more revealing about the production, but is also closer to 11 minutes than the stated 15. --Paul Tonks
DVD Description
DVD Special Features:
Behind the Scenes Featurette
Cast and Crew interviews - Kate Blanchette, Sam Raimi, Greg Kinnear, Giovanni Ribisi, Hillary Swank, Keanu Reeves
TV Spots
Radio Spots
Animated intro
Trailer
Scene Access
Interactive Menus
Widescreen 1.85:1
Languages/Subtitles/Hearing Impaired - English
5.1 Dolby Digital
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
an enjoyable film ,but scary.,
This review is from: The Gift [DVD] [2001] (DVD)
this is a really enjoyable film that left me on the edge of my seat. the performances by hilary swank and keanu reeves are immpecable and really make a good film excellent. katie holmes also adds an excellent performance. all in all this is a very good and well acted film. go see now.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Truelly chilling.,
By
This review is from: The Gift [DVD] [2001] (DVD)
I have to admit to being slightly puzzled by some of the negative reviews I have seen about this film. I saw this at the cinema when it came out and had quite low expectations of it. Therefore, I was surprised by how chilling it really is. Combined with the acting skills of Cate Blanchett, Keanu Reeves, "Buddy" (Phoebe's brother in Friends) and Hilary Swank, this really is a better then average supernatural yarn.
A young girl is missing and psychic Annie has visions of her decomposing body. But who is the murderer? The relationship between Cate Blanchett and her on screen children is touching and relieves the tension well from some of the more frightening scenes. I actually had a nightmare after watching this film and it involved violins! (Watch the film to see what I mean) If you liked What Lies Beneath, you will enjoy this. Discard scepticism and enjoy.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
solid entertainment,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Gift [DVD] [2001] (DVD)
Psychic woman helps unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a local girl, finally exposing whodunnit - it's not a particularly original premise, but what makes this film stand out from some similar films I've seen is the tremendous cast performances, Cate Blanchett is very good as the otherwise normal woman who happens to have 'the gift', Keanu Reeves is excellent playing against type (honest!) and Giovanni Ribisi puts in a brilliant turn as a young man who has 'issues' with his father. The film's treatment of 'the gift' and the way that Blanchett's character uses it is refreshingly down-to-earth which makes the dark dream/vision sequences all the scarier (I never thought the sight of Katie Holmes would make me jump!). Whilst the supernatural thriller isn't everyone's cup of tea, there is no hocus-pocus mumbo-jumbo in this and I found it very easy to suspend my disbelief as a result. My one gripe with the DVD would have to be that the extras don't include a director's commentary. A spooky and enjoyable fim.
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