CT: Gifted
If you're a regular around these parts, you know that Little C and I are mostly into genre fiction. Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror. My bookclub regularly hears me complain about the lack of ghosts in the books we read. But every once in a while you have to connect with one of the most real human dramas, you know?
Last night we went to see Gifted, finally. And goodness gracious, I was not prepared for how good that movie was going to be. I'd heard wonderful things, of course, and Mark Webb is an incredible director, so I knew it was going to be good. What I wasn't prepared for was one of those beautiful character-driven dramas that sticks with you long after you've left the theater.
The first thing that deserves all the praise is Tom Flynn's script. A story about a gifted kid inside an brilliant family needs to walk a fine line if it's going to stay believable, and Flynn manages that line beautifully. Frank and Mary felt like- even inside an unusual situation- people you know. People you could have met at work or a bar. People you would care about the second they came into your life. The relationship between the family in this story feels like a real family, messy and difficult and sweet. There were times when the sweetness in this film took me by surprise. It wasn't ever saccharine, just moments of very real, breathtaking love.
And that's where we come to the acting. Chris Evans is one of those actors that it's easy to overlook because he's a beefcake. That isn't to say that he doesn't do a fantastic job in the Marvel films, but there's only so much acting that stopping a helicopter with your biceps requires. However when you give him a role with some meet like this or Snowpiercer or Sunshine, you get to see the depth and nuance that he's really capable of. And it isn't every day that an actor of that caliber gets outshone by a child, but McKenna Grace is absolutely pitch perfect here. Smart and sassy and fascinating to watch.
Webb's earlier film 500 Days Of Summer was one of the most realistic stories about relationships I've seen. He told a story about love and relationships and the connections between us in a way that spoke to his audience. He's done the same here, but with even more grace and humanity.
It's an absolutely gorgeous film. If you haven't seen it, you absolutely should. You'll walk out a little more human than you went in.
Happy Watching!
CT
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| Image from IMDb |
The first thing that deserves all the praise is Tom Flynn's script. A story about a gifted kid inside an brilliant family needs to walk a fine line if it's going to stay believable, and Flynn manages that line beautifully. Frank and Mary felt like- even inside an unusual situation- people you know. People you could have met at work or a bar. People you would care about the second they came into your life. The relationship between the family in this story feels like a real family, messy and difficult and sweet. There were times when the sweetness in this film took me by surprise. It wasn't ever saccharine, just moments of very real, breathtaking love.
 |
| Image from IMDb |
Webb's earlier film 500 Days Of Summer was one of the most realistic stories about relationships I've seen. He told a story about love and relationships and the connections between us in a way that spoke to his audience. He's done the same here, but with even more grace and humanity.
 |
| Image from IMDb |
It's an absolutely gorgeous film. If you haven't seen it, you absolutely should. You'll walk out a little more human than you went in.
Happy Watching!
CT
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