Gifted

 

Movie: Gifted by Marc Webb

Platform: Netflix

Synposis: A little girl, with extraordinary math skills, is being nurtured by her maternal uncle. They share a wonderful bond – the uncle having given up his lucrative life (taking up a lowly job) to nurture this child (he doesn’t even reveal this “sacrifice” at any instant, until a stranger finds it). The ambitious parent of the uncle wants custody of the child, and the film's premise is on a custodial battle between the heart (The uncle) and the brain (the grandparent).

My take: The movie is beautiful. After a long time, I got involved in a movie and watched it. The relationship between the duo, centred around the value and beauty of the “ordinary” and the strength of human relationships – makes it all the more beautiful. The little girl fit into the role really well, and Chris Evans has made a humane role of Frank, more humane. An understanding Roberta, the very simple lives and relationships all of them share are a breeze in the world of mystery. A few scenes are worth mentioning: The conversation between Frank and Mary on the subject of faith and  God, the discussion on ‘spur-of-the-moment’ utterances, the surprise visit to reveal the joy of Mary’s birth, Frank’s tolerance to pet Fred although he is allergic to cats - are all great lessons on parenting. The screenplay may sound low, but such scenes are strong to carry the weight of the whole movie. The final message on: When it comes to an adverse condition of ensuring joy of the living, Vs honouring promises made to  the dead, it is ok to compromise the latter than the former.

A lovely movie after a very long time.