The Gift That Gives

Really enjoyed watching this! It was super lighthearted and just makes you feel good. I'm a huge romcom fan and I always love a wholesome movie! So, this hit the right spot for me!

The movie kept me engaged and on my toes... It kept me wondering what's gonna happen next with the characters! I thoroughly enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster it took me on.

There were also many funny moments that made me laugh out loud, especially the yoga scenes with Maria Tran. There were many witty moments between the main characters too.

Also, I love seeing a diverse cast in movies! We need more Asian-Australian representation in film, so it was refreshing to see that here. I also love spotting iconic Sydney, Australia locations in the film too.

Overall, I walked away from this movie feeling super warm and wholesome. Especially the ending!!

With way too much violence and general negativity on screens, big and small, it was refreshing to watch a feelgood movie for a change. The fact that The Gift That Gives is an Australian production was a bonus. When movies today are so often dog-eat-dog and mean-spirited with little or no redemption, this light-hearted story lifted my spirits. It could be said that there is a bit too much moralising, but I found the message of kindness, love and joy expressed through the characters done with a light touch. And it was good to see in the casting a realistic cross section of Aussies with different cultural backgrounds. I look forward to Joy Hopwood's next production.

My favourite film by Joy House Production yet! A feel-good romance story that invites viewers into the world of grassroots success, intertwined with unexpected love tales that shine a light on the beautiful richness and diversity we are lucky to have in modern-day Australia. The optimistic lens the film is filtered through is a refreshing change. Kudos to Joy and the Cast for investing the passion they did into this story. The production elements come together beautifully and it's encouraging to see how the Director's vision can bring opportunity to talent that allows everyone to continue developing their craft...now that's a Gift that's worth giving! Excited to see what comes next from Joy Hopwood and her team :)

I watched this film not sure what to expect and I certainly didn't expect to resonate so much with the script. As a daughter of two political refugees who immigrated to Australia I've often had the feels of being stuck in between and to see this narrative play out was somewhat cathartic. The production value for this Independent film is very high and I caught flavours of Last Christmas starring Emilia Clark and subtle notes of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion - all 90s films I adore. I really see this film as a homage to all those 90s rom-coms and a nice reprieve from all the drama currently playing out on world news. So if you need a film to bring back some 90s nostalgia, an original Australian story and just something that leaves you happy rather than worse for wear than when you started - this is the film for you.

Joy Hopwood unpacks tricky adult relationships and subtly explores mental health and balancing emotional accountability through interpersonal connections, neatly wrapping it up as "The Gift That Gives".

Characters are grounded and have realistic backstories fleshed out just enough to be relatable in stakes and chemistry, that really pay off in the end.

Cheeky elements are here without taking away from the drama with the much loved and missed late Lex Marinos delivering his signature comedic relief in his scenes in his last role as Lawrence.

Despite having a teenage Disney like depth, the film hits all it's marks with a positive message and deserves more credit for Joy's unique approach in these complex modern times is indeed wholesome warm hug.

We are spoiled by all the classic American white Christmas films and aside from missing a musical number I only unrealistically ask for snow in this film, but don't let that take away from your experience of the Christmas Joy theme.