Krishna
This movie got a high rating in the critical sites like Rotten Tomatoes. Is the movie interesting? Yes. Do I consider it as highly as the critics seem to rate it? No. Read on to find out why.
I will not deny that the story has some interesting twists – no doubt. The story is about Simon Cullum (Jason Bateman of the Arrested Development fame) and his young wife Robyn. They move back to California where Simon grew up from Chicago where they lived. We know that they want to get away from Chicago due to a recent miscarriage of Robyn (played by Rebecca Hall).
Almost at the beginning, when Simon and Robyn are buying furniture for the new home they have chosen, they run into Gordon Mosley, also known as Gordo and Simon invites him to his house. (Gordo is played by Joel Edgerton who has also directed the movie). When they find a gift of wine at their doorstep, they call and invite him to dinner. At the dinner, some comments made by Gordo make them uncomfortable.
The movie escalates from there. We also learn unexpected facts. We learn that the idyllic couple are not what they seem at first glance. Robyn had a prescription drugs problem. We learn that he is career hungry, wanting to get ahead at whatever cost to the competition. We learn that Gordo was a victim of serious bullying by Simon when at school.
Before all that, there is an interesting scene where Gordo invites Simon and Robyn for dinner and more weird things happen and Simon tells Gordo not to visit him ever again. They find that when they return to their house, their koi fish (which was an unwanted gift from Gordo) are all dead and their dog Mr Bojangles (yeah, you heard right; that is the name they have given to their dog) is missing.
The movie title refers to the fact that Gordo mainly communicates with the couple through gifts left in front of their first door – both good and bad.
The ending is surprisingly nice.
You are probably thinking: Then what is the problem with the nice ending? It is this: It may be a fairly well made movie but it is a pure story of a weird visitor traumatizing a family. How many times has it been done? The problem with this movie is that the twist at the near end of the film (about what seems to have happened when Robyn had lost consciousness before her second pregnancy) feels contrived, and even otherwise, the formula is as old as the medium of film itself.
Nice movie? Yes. Rave worthy? No.
Let us say a more sedate 5/ 10
– – Krishna