MovieChat Forums > The Gift (2015) Discussion > Very nearly a great film until the endin...

Very nearly a great film until the ending

posted 9 years ago by HarveyManfredSinJohn
7 replies | jump to latest

It's still a very good film, but the film reaches its narrative peak with the scenes in which Simon 'apologises' to Gordy in the car-park, and the subsequent dinner party celebrating Simon's promotion, in which we discover Gordy is not the only victim of Simon's lies and badmouthing.

At this juncture it appears that the film is about to take a surprise and satisfying twist turn, in which Simon becomes the de facto antagonist.

Unfortunately, having seemingly built up Gordy as a creepy and misguided yet ultimately sympathetic victim with a genuine grievance, and Simon as the apparent bad guy, Gordy's final three 'gifts' sadly undermine whatever (deserved) sympathy we have for him. Even if he didn't rape Robyn (and it does seem that he was 'merely' mindfcking with Simon) breaking into their house and suggestively fondling Robyn (regardless of whatever happened, or indeed didn't happen, next) and planting such seeds in Simon, and potentially Robyn's minds (assuming she found out about the video, which is a very definite possibility) is pretty twisted, and it's a shame that Gordy's revenge on Simon had to use Robyn as a pawn.

Simon was indeed a malign POS and one can only feel sorry for Gordy as a consequence of Simon's high-school actions, but I was hoping that Gordy would stay the better man and not resort to anything quite as twisted as a 'staged rape'.

I've been in a similar situation to Gordy (albeit one nowhere near as extreme) and I'd like to think that no matter how terrible my tormentors were, and how in a Karmic Universe they would suffer some sort of payback for their actions, I'd be the better person and resist personal retribution, particularly anything remotely twisted as a 'staged rape', which is why Gordy's actions ultimately disappointed me, and my overall appreciation of this otherwise very good film.

Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away?

[–] darkzero 9 years ago

I couldn't get invested in this movie because I can't stand Jason Bateman and yuppies in general. I just don't care when these "pretty people", living their pretty upper-middle-class suburban homes, have their "American dream" threatened. It felt like a Lifetime Channel original movie with higher production values. It would have been better as a dark satire with the Gordo character as a genius psycho who systematically upends the values and lifestyle of his yuppie-consumerist hosts.

Originality needs a reboot.

[–] HumanFundRecipient 9 years ago

When Simon told Robyn early on that, when referring to Gordo, that some people stay the same, he pretty much confirmed that later on with the confrontation outside the nightclub. Between that and the strong reaction of the individual who was up for the promotion Simon got, I got the perception Simon was the one who hadn't changed.

I was pleased that Simon got a taste of "now you know what it's like" by Gordo: with the is he/isn't he- Simon being the baby's father, or a did he/didn't he- Gordo assaulting Robyn. The third "gift" was an extreme action, but what happened to the perpetrator in the first place was worse.

It don't matter who you hear it from. It's the same story.

[–] erin1223 8 years ago

that is an interesting way to look at things

[–] aftermik 9 years ago

the simon twist starts for me when she finds the files in the desk & is fully confirmed when we hear kevin says on the phone that something 's up with the other guy for the job which happens before the car park i think.

[–] franco_xxl 8 years ago

I don't think the ending changes something.
Why does Gordo have to be a genuine good guy for the movie to be great?
It's to much of a fairytale for me if the bullied guy from school not only has a master plan he succeds with, but also the end scene shows him going to the beach with the antagonists ex-wife.
No, he had all the reasons in the world to get even with Simon, and does. But Gordo wasn't "the good guy".

Great watch!!!

[–] sarizonana 8 years ago

What would i have changed is that Simon latter realized it was all just to scare him for a while and they he appeared would have just acted just like the wife.
It would have been an epic twist if the wife would have revealed to Simon she was with Gordon the whole time. I don't know the film giving us some hints the wife was just putting on a great performance just like Abby in Butterfly on w wheel

[–] MariannIAm (22) 2 years ago

I know this is a super old thread but I just got done watching the film.

I am fairly positive that Gordo would have gone back to the house to pick up the video/audio evidence and Bateman is left with nothing to prove to anyone...kind of how Bateman left Gordo with all those years ago. Without proof he's going to look awfully stupid "making this all up" to his wife when she's already kicked his butt to the curb. There is nothing that will redeem him now -- and I believe the prior ability showing how easy it was for Gordo to go in and out of houses...well, he'll just go back into the house when Bateman is trying to repair his marriage and now work on keeping a career...Gordo will just use another of his keys and hightail it out of there before Bateman is the wiser. I don't think Gordo is that stupid to leave it there. The seed is planted in Bateman's brain and having to ask the doctors for a blood draw from the baby for a DNA test -- not even sure how that works. Do both parents have to agree to it? But...awkward to Bateman and his perfect narcissist sociopath self and I think the doubt will fester in him which is what Gordo is banking on as well.

And Gordo never raped her. She and him undoubtedly talked more when he was hooking up the computer to the tv and such...so as Bateman pointed out...she was a female "Gordo" in school - so I think they both were sympathetic to each other...and Gordo wouldn't do anything to hurt HER - he opened her eyes and spared her further gaslighting by Simon and also her newborn son. Simon wouldn't have been the doting father - but the controlling and manipulating one. He already had his wife's self-esteem taken away by how he treated her after she undoubtedly had to seek counseling for a miscarriage and was prescribed pills she probably didn't abuse. Or maybe she tried to kill herself as he kept telling her the miscarriage was her fault. Either way...he was gaslighting her big-time.