AVENUE Magazine November 2011

a new sense of what is really happening, and what key pieces of information that we are missing, such as Phil’s heavily sarcastic boss, Keith Mandelbrot, who seems to continually try to get Phil to put everything aside for his work. There is also Greg, who openly admires Emily, but well, hasn’t quite figured out how to take no as an answer.

“The Gift” keeps you on the edge of your seat as the viewer as the recurring themes and perfectly placed thematic images make one wonder whether there will be a joyful or tearful ending. The questions continue to plague you as you continue to watch. Why does Phil continue to stop on the bridge in the midst of traffic? Will Phil ever feel that he has escaped the machine? And while the film does an excellent job of building up the tension and captivating your attention, it is almost as if the big ending is somewhat of a letdown. While it is an unexpected twist, it still leaves many of the questions unanswered. It’s almost as if the writer had written too much of a mystery into the film and couldn’t quite find a way to bring it all together, but instead, just found an easier way to wrap up the biggest loose ends.

This film features a stellar cast of voice actors with a wealth of experience and the perfect accompaniment of perfectly