THE GIFT

In a small town in the American province, Annie, a young widow with three small children to support, finds the money to live thanks to her "job" as a medium, reading the cards to her fellow citizens with her special extrasensory powers. When, suddenly, the tranquility of the country is broken by the disappearance of a girl, the local police decide to ask Annie for help to discover what happened to the young woman. Annie's perceptions are, however, rather confused and finding the true culprit will not be easy… After the shock caused to his fans for having seen him "busy" directing Kevin Conster in the cloying and sentimental "Love Game" Raimi ("The House", "Army of Darkness", "Darkman") finally returns to a genre more suited to his directing career by directing a supernatural-themed thriller. Starring a cast of great respect, with actors of the caliber of Cate Blanchett ("Elizabeth"), Giovanni Ribisi ("Gone in 60 Seconds"), Keanu Reeves ("Matrix"), Kathie Holmes ("Wonder Boys") and Hilary Swank ("Boys Don't Cry"), "The Gift" is a tense and intriguing giallo that, without needing to use scenes of particular violence or cruelty, nevertheless manages to create moments of suspense and tension (especially during Annie's "visions"), thanks above all to the support of a solid and inspired direction. It's a shame that the film is limited in its potential by some "over-the-top" sequences (especially those that take place in court) that weigh down and slow the pace without adding anything new to the plot, and by a rather banal ending. However, all in all, a positive "return" for one of the masters of the genre.