The Gift (2000) - 8/10

Checked out The Gift this afternoon so catch up on some of Sam Raimi's older horror movies in preparation for Drag Me to Hell tonight. I really like Cate Blanchett recently and along with Keanu Reeves, Giovanni Ribisi, Katie Holmes, and Greg Kinnear, this movie boasts an all star cast. The setting of the south really set the tone for this darkened tale of a small town whose shocked by a murder. Cate's gift of feeling or seeing things to solve the mystery was played well with almost dream like sequences that blended with her reality to really scare you and move the story forward at the same time. Raimi likes to slow down shots of water or other specific instances where he wants you to reflect on what the character's are feeling and I appreciated the development of the drama in the real lives of the people so it didn't get tossed over to the supernatural side too much. The ending is a little obvious but I think that the way that the movie is paced and little details are hinted at really make it an impact story about what it's like to live in a small town. The cast was very believable and made it just the right balance of suspense and horror that I am really looking forward to his new movie tonight. Check this one out.