Lastnight, Julie and I watched Sam Rami's "The Gift;" I had heard nothing but mediocre reviews of the film, but really wanted to see it on the strength of the cast (Cate Blanchett, Giovanni RIbisi, Hilary Swank, Keanu, etc.) I was expecting run-of-the-mill supernatural thriller and was surprised by the texture and atmosphere of the very Sothern Gothic tale. The screenplay by Billy Bob Thorton and Tom Epperson really captured the contrasting darkness and warmth of Southern culture while building a tense and believable mystery. I was hoping for a visually striking film from Rami, and while the film had a few signature Rami moves and elements, the biggest surprise of the whole film was the performances that he elicited from the cast. Cate was wonderful of course, but the stand-out performance of the film came from Giovanni Ribisi who was utterly gripping in his portrayal of a manic-depressive abuse victim. But really, the whole cast gave a very nuanced and textured performance which went a long way towards keeping you guessing about the killer until the very last scene even if you think you've figured it out early-on. I highly recommend the film to fans of tense thrillers, and I'm hard-pressed to think of a finer cinematic example of the Southern Gothic genre.