‘Gifted’ a very nice and well-made movie
‘Gifted’ a very nice and well-made movie
[...] in its details, in its characters and their relationships, in the unfolding of its story, and even in the delicacy of its filming, “Gifted” rises above cynical expectation.
The case of Evans is practically a question for some philosophy class — would you take unimaginable fame and wealth in exchange for years of your life spent running around in tights and pretending it matters?
The first outsider to grasp Mary’s gift is her first-grade teacher, played by Jenny Slate.
If you saw Slate in “Obvious Child,” you might well be surprised to find that this is not someone doomed to portraying relentless personalities.
Frank’s mission in life, his reason for being, is to make sure that Mary has a childhood, that she has friends and joins the Girl Scouts and someday goes to the prom.
Is it right or wrong for a person in possession of such a gift not to commit to its special frequency?
Duncan, who scared Michael Keaton as the film critic in “Birdman,” goes a long way toward scaring the entire audience in “Gifted.”
Once she knows that Mary has the special family gift, she insists that the little girl should live with her and that Mary’s life should be spent doing nothing but studying math and expanding her abilities.
Though there is no question in any viewer’s mind as to which parent figure is preferable, the script makes the interesting choice of giving each side its due.