I was rather hoping the press notes for The Gift would contain an embargo preventing reviewers from revealing the twist in the tale. A lot of critics have a laissez-faire attitude to spoilers and the extended trailers in cinemas give away far more than they should, which deprives audiences of experiencing movies as they happen.
So avoid reading too much about Joel Edgerton's directorial debut and see it as soon as you can as you won't be disappointed. The script is also the work of Australian-born Edgerton who was last seen as Ramses in Exodus: Gods and Kings and, like a lot of film-makers from Oz, he has given the movie a European flavour and thereby an authentic and darker edge.
Jewish actor Jason Bateman, who is known for comedy but is just as good at the more serious stuff, plays up-and-coming executive Simon, a seemingly agreeable guy who is married to Robyn (Rebecca Hall). Together, this young and apparently happy couple have relocated to Los Angeles for his work where they live in a dreamlike home. You know the sort of place - open-plan with lots of windows, which they will soon wish they had less of after bumping into Gordo (Edgerton).
Gordo is one of Simon's former high-school classmates, though not an immediately recognisable one, though they still invite him for dinner and after that the gifts start arriving.
While a bottle of wine as a thank-you is always welcome, when fish suddenly appear in the couple's pond it just feels wrong and though Robyn, who is recovering from a miscarriage and is depressed, has more patience for their new friend, even she realises he needs to go when he turns out to be a pathological liar.
And that is when the letter arrives stipulating: "I'm willing to let bygones be bygones" and no one is going to just throw that in the bin without asking a few questions. If Pacific Heights, Unlawful Entry and any of those solid thrillers from the '90s are on your top-10 list, then The Gift is perfect for you. Just don't spoil it for anyone else after you've seen it.
