When movie lovers are looking back on the best of 2001, they will still be marveling at the beauty, intelligence and seemingly effortless mastery of Ms. Blanchett's performance.
Well... Well, well, well... I have found it! The movie I watched as a small kid with absolutely no ones permission because it popped up on tv one night. I didn't know what I was expecting, probably a horror movie because of the scary visuals. But what I actually saw was pretty profound for an adult movie. It was not the first R Rated movie I ever saw, I believe that award goes to Damien: Omen II, but it's definitely the first one to have taught me that not all Rated R films are slasher horror films. It taught me it could use adult themes to tell a dramatic story about a psychic who helps solve the mystery behind a murder of a woman who visited her days beforehand, and of her friend who committed suicide who later saves her from beyond the grave (supposedly). I was around 13 or 14 when I saw this movie, And I thought of it as "That's So Raven but more mature" but it really wasn't. One thing I can say about this movie is that it definitely forges it's own identity. It never talks down to you, or assumes you're below intelligence by just telling you the answers immediately, but it does make you feel for the characters on screen. As a side note, I'd like to say that this is the first movie that I ever saw that went out of it's way to explain to a small child (in a scene) what the meaning of the F word is, which I found hilarious and endearing as a kid. Go ahead and watch it, it's not the most amazing masterpiece, but it is definitely a quality movie with an early 2000's vibe and charm.
Featuring a star-studded cast, Sam Raimi's The Gift cannot be classified as anything other than a disappointing effort. Raimi is at his very best here crafting a truly chilling atmosphere and carefully manufacturing each and every scare to maximum effect. The Gift can be a truly horrifying experience at times and this has to be its strongest asset. The acting is also very strong, but of course it is with a cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, Hilary Swank, JK Simmons, Gary Cole, and Kim ****. Everybody delivers here and this cast is more than worth your time. However, the film shoots itself in the face repeatedly at the end of the film. Featuring a predictable "twist" that anybody could see after 20 minutes into the film and a stupidly convenient ending that is also deeply sexist really make The Gift's ending feel more like a slap to the face than anything. Even worse, the film was effectively scary up to this point, even if it was incredibly conventional. Instead of being an acceptable thriller that adds very little to the genre, it is merely a disappointing effort from all involved that deserved far better writing and a less dumb ending.