charlesxa3 What a bunch of malarkey. Welcome to the world of Demian Lichtenstein and Discover the Gift, a self-indulgent movie where a guy (who could be the least qualified person ever) tells you the secret to life. The movie uses interviews to give people advice on their life, focusing primarily on Lichtenstein. He claims to have a rough life, and discusses his anger with his sister. Text book definition of "first world problems". It's literally a movie about his temper. Now I've never really liked any of this spiritual mumbo-jumbo, and some of these interviews are preposterous and pointless. Many are equally self-indulgent. But the biggest flaw of the movie is that it is a collection of interviews where people act like car salesmen- they speak a lot, without saying much.My issue is not so much with the movie, but with the main character of the film itself. Demian Lichtenstein is known for his violent and sexist movies (3000 Miles To Graceland, Venus and Vegas). The movies he's made are the complete opposite to this movie. He's also infamously discredited his co-author and replaced her with his sister, another self-indulgent schoolteacher. The uncredited co-author ended up suing him.My main point? Why the hell would I believe this guy has the answer to life's questions? Watch the movie with a critical eye. Movies are fake, and this one's no different.

gdt07 I'm often cynical when it comes to these kind of movies, but this one quickly changed my mind just like 15 minutes in. It felt really genuine and the lessons it attempts to teach are truly deep. Watching it gave me that feeling of having butterflies in my stomach. I felt really bubbly because all of a sudden I was so hopeful about what my future could hold. On top of it I also got this sense of relief because I was finally able to let go of so many grudges that I had been holding on to. Its not quite so much a movie you see but a movie you experience. And unless you take a couple of hours to enjoy the experience, let go and let the lessons sink in, its quite impossible for you to understand what you're missing out on.

clarkstein Discover the Gift is an inspirational film from director/producer Demian Lichtenstein (3,000 Miles to Graceland). The audience follows his spiritual journey to self-fulfillment and reconciliation to his estranged family. Along the way, dozens of motivational speakers and spiritual gurus are interviewed (including David "Avocado" Wolfe, Sir Ken Robinson, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama) and shed light upon the path to inner peace and discovering one's gift. It is in these parts of the film where the film is at its strongest; the wisdom and insight displayed by them has opened my mind and my heart. The parts of the film that follows Lichtenstein's path to fulfillment are told in retrospect and therefore feel a bit weak but he makes up for it with beautiful scenery and masterful cinematography. The film offers other perspectives and Lichtenstein emphasizes that his journey is unique to him. And that is the ultimate point of the film, that one must open his/her mind and heart up to find their own path. But it is the how that is the hard part (or is it really that hard?) If you are at all interested in improving your life, check out Discover the Gift.

grodemann I can't say that I've seen too many inspirational movies like Discover the Gift, at least not in their entirety. Like most movies that have a corresponding book, I usually prefer the book more than the movie and the same is true here. However the movie does a really good job of expressing the book in the time allotted, It's almost as if the book is being narrated by the family remembering the incidents that brought this book into print. All of this is set to rather soothing, almost hypnotic soundtrack that plays through the majority of the movie.As for the content, I don't really want to spoil anything for you. There's a bit of a build up to finding out what the Gift is, and all the other original ideas Discover the Gift presents. In all honesty It's the wrapping the Gift comes in that impresses me the most. The Ideas are presented through the family experiences of Shajen Joy Aziz and her brother. These family experiences are really what makes this movie stand out from anything like it I've seen.