Gifted movie review: Tale of 6-year old math prodigy is formulaic but charming

“She’s not normal, but if Einstein can ride a bike so can she.” 

– Frank Adler talking about the fact that Mary is a gifted child.

I love this movie. I loved the bond between Chris Evans and Mckenna Grace. Something to watch out. The direction is great and the story is very much moving. It is an extremely beautiful and heart touching movie, the sort which makes you smile through tears. The acting is exceptional, and you can't help but fall in love with the characters. I liked how they explored the complexity of the characters, and didn't just make it black and white with clear 'heroes' and 'villains'. Nobody's perfect.

Love is not fearing they would get taken away from you, it is fearing that you may not be good enough for them.

Gifted is an example of fluent storytelling of a simple story with basic courtroom drama and emotions. The scene of maths are beautifully portrayed, not exaggerating the girl's abilities but showcasing her as a subtle genius.

Mary is a gifted child whose intellect is way beyond her biological age. She solves complex math problems and provides expert views on politics. However, her late mother's brother, Frank, is determined to give her a normal life like any other kid. However, there is as much as he can hide from the world, especially her school.  A fight for child custody is a familiar story line that comes alive in the emotionally-charged relationship between McKenna Grace playing Mary, the gifted child, and Chris Evans in the role of Frank, her Uncle/guardian. The "foe" is Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan), Mary's grandmother who believes nurturing Mary's mind is a great gift to humanity.

Like in most child custody cases, the power is in the court system and how well it's played by the interested parties. The adults move forward with a righteous zeal of what they think is best for Mary.

Eventually, it turns into a courtroom battle of Mary's custody between Frank and his mother, Evelyn, who wants to have her in top schools for gifted in the country and solve some of the all-time great problems in mathematics. In the midst of all this, there is a secret kept safe around Mary's mother's death. And Mary’s mother was a gifted mathematician who- AAAAAAHHHH I AM NOT TELLING ANYTHING, WATCH THE DAMN MOVIEEE

The director, Marc Webb, elevated an average story into an excellent cinema. His projection of the artistic side (right brain) of an otherwise math genius (left brain) was great and something to take away from the movie. The humor kept the movie light and fun to watch. I loved the way the relationship of Frank and Mary was projected.

What makes this film such a standout is the wholly authentic rapport between Mary and Frank. Because you know that love will win out, you don't have to invest all your attention in wondering how. Rather, you can sit back and take the infinitely satisfying emotional ride in the intricate shades of love called "the human experience". Some of the scenes where Frank teaches Mary about life and love-in particular, the hospital scene-makes you wish he'd been your own father. That scene was beautifully conceptualized and executed.

Watch it. The standout performances by Chris Evans and McKenna Grace make it worth your while.

Go ahead and watch it!                

- Sarah Sheikh

BSc FND