6 Months after the US release Gifted finally flops into Australian cinemas.
Frank, a single man raising his child prodigy niece Mary, is drawn into a custody battle with his mother.
There’s no apparent reason why this release was so delayed. I’m sure anyone who really wanted to see the film would’ve already bought a US DVD release (or illegally downloaded it). It’s a very poor reflection on the distributor taking this long between international release dates. That aside, the film is mediocre at best. McKenna Grace gives a charming performance as the genius child, at 7 she remarkably carries the film. Octavia Spencer is great in her supporting role, but is drastically under-utilised. Jenny Slate is a nice addition to the supporting cast as Mary’s teacher.
Chris Evans gives a excellent performance given his dialogue, but that still makes him one of the weaker performers. The dialogue for Frank’s character is laughable, devoid of actual emotion - almost like a computer wrote it. You feel sorry for Evans. Lindsay Duncan plays Frank’s mother and you feel like she was a last-minute substitute for someone more famous who pulled out. She gives a forgettable performance.
Overall with such a mediocre script and varied performances there’s better things in cinemas to see.
3 Stars
Review by Benjamin Maio Mackay
Screening courtesy of Roadshow Entertainment