“The Gift”

Even if Annie Wilson (Cate Blachett) didn’t have her gift of clairvoyance, “The Gift” would still be a pretty good suspense thriller. But that added dose of the supernatural gives the movie a jolt that director Sam Raimi uses to blur the lines between Annie’s visions and reality to keep you guessing. The plot of “The Gift” revolves around the disappearance of Jessica King (Katie Holmes), a woman engaged to a local school principal (Greg Kinnear) while sleeping with virtually every other man in town. After coming up dry, the police reluctantly turn to Annie. She leads them to Jessica’s body on the property of Donnie Barksdale (a menacing Keanu Reeves), the abusive husband of one of her clients (Hilary Swank). The resulting court case seems to satisfy everyone – except Annie. She’s haunted by visions that lead her to believe she’s helped convict an innocent man. And when she tries to set things right, that’s when everything starts to go wrong. “The Gift” is thoroughly enjoyable, with a top-notch cast and a surprise ending that defies prediction. It’s definitely worth a look. My tweet (influenced by recent tabloid headlines): The Gift-When Katie Holmes disappears, clairvoyant Cate Blanchett knows it’s not because she’s trying to get away from Tom Cruise. 7.5 (out of 10)

“The Gift”

Released: 2000

Rating: R

Length: 110 minutes

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves, Greg Kinnear

Director: Sam Raimi

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Mystery