GIFTED
Director : Marc Webb
Year : 2017
Genre : Drama
Rating : **1/2
Having made his fortune playing Captain America in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Evans now portrays a very different kind of hero in 'Gifted', a cute, if not corny family-friendly drama that has plenty of heart but, unlike it's smart young protagonist, not a huge amount in it's head. In 'Gifted', Evans stars as Frank, the uncle and legal guardian of Mary (McKenna Grace), an incredibly intelligent young girl whose astonishing skills with advanced mathematics quickly makes her a prime target for some of America's most prestigious schools. However due to past familial traumas, Frank refuses to allow his beloved niece to follow the path of academia once trod by her now deceased mother and what ensues is a painful custody battle between him and Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan), Mary's fearsome grandmother and Frank's own Mum who wants the precocious seven year old to ignore her uncle's wishes and instead follow in her own daughters illustrious footsteps.
Director Marc Webb is no stranger to the world of quiet personal drama (having previously made the quirky low-budget 2010 indie hit '500 Days Of Summer') and with more than a little help from both his cast and his composer Rob Simonsen, he deftly manages to wring the maximum amount of emotion out of Tom Flynn's smart yet schmaltzy screenplay. As always, Chris Evans is a very charismatic screen presence and the believable chemistry between him and his talented young co-star makes for numerous moments of genuine heartfelt tenderness while on the other side of the coin, British acting legend Lindsay Duncan is elegantly icy as the films primary antagonistic force. There are also some nice supporting performances from Octavia Spencer and Jenny Slate who, despite playing little part in the overall arc of the narrative, both make the most of their notably underwritten roles.
As a piece of saccharine sweet Summer afternoon entertainment, 'Gifted' fulfills it's job perfectly well. There's plenty of laughs to be had throughout it's refreshingly short running time and a few tears may even be shed during it's more touching scenes. However as it develops, the story sadly loses the strength of it's convictions as it shifts from being a dysfunctional yet entertaining family drama into an increasingly contrived and highly conventional 'Kramer vs. Kramer'-style courtroom drama. The performances are great, Webb's direction is fluid and the cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh is frequently gorgeous to look at but as a cinema experience, 'Gifted' ultimately ends up being a good-natured yet disappointingly predictable affair; especially when compared to the more adventurous entries in the surprisingly crammed sub-genre of 'child prodigy' movies such as Jodie Foster's bold directorial debut 'Little Man Tate' (1991), Gus Van Sant's Oscar winning gem 'Good Will Hunting' (1997) and, more recently, Matthew Morgan's charming yet tender 'X+Y' (2015).
As a piece of saccharine sweet Summer afternoon entertainment, 'Gifted' fulfills it's job perfectly well. There's plenty of laughs to be had throughout it's refreshingly short running time and a few tears may even be shed during it's more touching scenes. However as it develops, the story sadly loses the strength of it's convictions as it shifts from being a dysfunctional yet entertaining family drama into an increasingly contrived and highly conventional 'Kramer vs. Kramer'-style courtroom drama. The performances are great, Webb's direction is fluid and the cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh is frequently gorgeous to look at but as a cinema experience, 'Gifted' ultimately ends up being a good-natured yet disappointingly predictable affair; especially when compared to the more adventurous entries in the surprisingly crammed sub-genre of 'child prodigy' movies such as Jodie Foster's bold directorial debut 'Little Man Tate' (1991), Gus Van Sant's Oscar winning gem 'Good Will Hunting' (1997) and, more recently, Matthew Morgan's charming yet tender 'X+Y' (2015).
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