Seven Pounds

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Seven Pounds

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Seven Pounds

Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Will Smith, Woody Harrelson, Michael Ealy

Ben Thomas, an IRS agent with a fateful secret, embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.

Id: 10974938

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Seven Pounds Recent Reviews
  • JDFortuneFan
    September 27, 2009
    JDFortuneFan
    Seven Pounds has the WOW factor. Great script, spectacular acting, beautifully filmed and all with an excellent score. Director Gabriele Muccino allowed this haunting tale to unfold perfectly. An intriguing film which makes you think.
  • purplemegan
    July 6, 2009
    purplemegan
    The more I think about this movie the more this character reminds me of the guy from Pursuit of Happyness. I'm not really sure what else to say about it. It was definitely a tearjerker.
  • garystev
    June 27, 2009
    garystev
    Will Smith proves once again that he really can do anything in this obscurely titled melodrama. This astounding piece of work has no shame about pulling at your heart strings and it does so in a surprisingly witty way that will leave you devestated. More than just a story of rede...( read more)mption, it's depth is almost biblical in nature and provokes the audience to ask some shocking questions about ourselves and the world we live in. Wonderfully deep, with some truly original twists and a very touching finale. Just see it!
  • PvtCaboose91
    June 23, 2009
    PvtCaboose91
    "In seven days, God created the world. And in seven seconds, I shattered mine."


    Every frame of director Gabriele Muccino's Seven Pounds feels manipulatively engineered for one purpose: tear-jerking. On an emotional level, one could decree that this motion pict

    ...( read more)ure is satisfying as it indeed contains powerful moments. Yet on an intellectual level, the film is disappointingly shallow as it shamelessly defies logic with ridiculous plot contrivances and unconvincing character behaviour. Seven Pounds is a strange little movie - it's part romance fable, part maudlin study in grief and part puzzle, and it visibly hopes to grab the attention of the Oscar committee. The film is intended to be somewhat depressing in order to move on an emotional level, but as a result of the deliberate pacing and the hollow core (seriously, what was the point of the movie?) it's ultimately a depressing, notoriously unenjoyable cinematic snooze-fest. Seven Pounds suffers from being too earnest and sentimental as well as overdone and grim...even when it's supposed to lift our spirits. As a love story it's substandard and as a redemption story it's pretty ridiculous.


    The basic story of Seven Pounds, beyond the narrative shuffle and existential pondering, is fairly interesting. But not much of this plotline can be revealed because the movie has been foolishly designed to make the most fundamental plot point a spoiler!
    At its most rudimentary level, the story concerns IRS agent Ben Thomas (Smith) who sets out to help the lives of seven strangers in a journey of personal redemption. Flashbacks gradually reveal why Ben has become so bizarre and solitary, and divulge the true nature of Ben's mission. But all the narrative trickery and emotional manipulation only place Ben further out of the audience's reach as he moves through the plot like an indomitable Terminator devoid of palpable motivations. Seven Pounds is not easy to predict, but the ambiguity of Ben's quest erodes the effectiveness of the overall experience as Ben's enigmatic misery and unclear motivations trigger head-slapping frustration. Eventually the story grows stale and is unable to generate sufficient intrigue as the film progresses. With Ben's motives left in the dark until the end, not everyone will have the patience to stick with the film to learn the answer to its riddle.


    Seven Pounds conveys its story in a non-linear and seemingly haphazard manner, confounding and confusing as a means to conceal the "twist" until the final act. Unfortunately, the filmmakers miss their mark - anyone with a brain will be able to decipher the film's final trajectory within the first thirty minutes (particularly because the movie commences with one of the last scenes). Probably the biggest problem is that it's impossible to easily accept Ben's behaviour. Guilt may be a powerful motivator and the quest for redemption can be obsessive, but Ben should pursue his objectives with more believable human behaviour patterns. As it is, his behaviour is downright silly (similar to a lot of the film's contrived proceedings).


    By any standard, Ben Thomas is not a nice person. He invades the private lives of critically ill people and collects their personal information under false pretences. Ben runs little con games on these people before judging them, and this is both intrusive and morally dubious. On top of this, his unexpected relationship with Emily is dishonest - he refuses to divulge any information about himself. Seven Pounds also ignores the fact that meddling with the lives of strangers incurs responsibilities. At one point Ben gives his expensive beach house to an abused woman (Carillo) and her young children as a gesture of charity. Ben chooses this beneficiary on the basis of a few endorsements and a brief, unproductive meeting. It may seem like a nice gesture, but this would be doing more harm than good - the woman has no way of paying the taxes on the house, nor will she have money for the house's upkeep. She'll likely run into hassles with suspicious neighbours, lawyers, and perhaps even Ben's family. Chances are the house will be taken away from her, and Ben's gesture will be in vain. On top of this, in a symbolic, stupid subplot, Ben somehow acquires a box jellyfish (!) that lives in a tank filled with tap water (!!) until it's required for its intended purpose.


    Here's the unforgivable problem: Ben forces his help on people without their consent or even their knowledge. He gives some of these people gifts that would be morally unacceptable under normal circumstances. Ben's selfless altruism is conceived on the basis of simple math: if you break seven bottles, you must replace the seven bottles. This is, of course, utter simplistic nonsense. One should act out of moral commitment as opposed to some crazy notion of guilt. But more importantly, the "terrible event" that haunts Ben's past was an accident. He was careless, yes, but no more culpable than any other person who does something foolish. Seven Pounds wraps up with a heart-wrenching (or at least they're supposed to be) series of overly mawkish soap-opera epiphanies. The last moment of the film, during which two people are seemingly drawn together by Ben's acts, is extremely tacky - sentimentally flawed and ethically questionable. Unfortunately, the first half of the movie hasn't earned the investment required for a big emotional finish as it's far too boring, and the ending falls flat.


    This is Will Smith's second collaboration with director Gabriele Muccino (the brilliant Pursuit of Happyness being their first) who continually plies heavily dramatic performances from the actor who's famous for featuring in comedic roles. Smith is an accessible and likeable performer, but his charisma seems somewhat forced here...and he looks more constipated than tortured from time to time. Rosario Dawson, playing alongside Will Smith, is fairly credible and natural. But Dawson's character, a terminally ill yet full-of-life patient, is familiar in the cinematic realm of tear-jerkers, and it's hard to find something new to engage with. Woody Harrelson is given a small but crucial role here, and he's fairly memorable. Also look out for Barry Pepper who makes the most of his restricted screen-time.


    Muccino and screenwriter Grant Nieporte clearly strived to create an uplifting motion picture, but in the long run Seven Pounds is uncomfortable and depressing. Although initially involving, the story's big reveal occurs too late, and even the most determined viewer will have trouble maintaining interest. Seven Pounds is more exasperating than riveting. While it's refreshing to behold a star vehicle that demands patience and attention, even an extremely enjoyable film needs to be succinct. Seven Pounds is an exercise in self-indulgence - it's a collage of melodramatic scenes (emotion is amplified by intrusive music during these scenes as well) followed by an ending that fails to deliver a big emotional payoff.
  • clooneyfan
    June 17, 2009
    clooneyfan
    The beginning of this movie was kind of confusing but it started making more sense towards the end. It made me think for hours after it was over.
  • movietiffany
    December 23, 2009
    movietiffany
    Not the best Will Smith movie there is, but I still found myself enjoying it and getting into it. It was different and instering and of course Will is amazing in this just like everything else he is in :)
  • eoddirtybirdfan16
    December 23, 2009
    eoddirtybirdfan16
    The best drama I?ve seen in the last few years. The movie does a very good job of keeping you guessing until the end and it?s enough to show even the toughest guy?s soft-side. There is no need for me to say anything more than you need to see this movie if you love movies.
  • KingreX32
    December 22, 2009
    KingreX32
    At first i wasnt intrested in this movie because I just wasnt. But im glad i watched it. Seven pounds was a great film. And even though i figured out the movie (and ending) 30 mins in i still enjoyed the story. Its really sad but joyful at the same time.
  • ShanaiN
    December 22, 2009
    ShanaiN
    what a dedicated man
  • mikepao
    December 21, 2009
    mikepao
    Pretty thought provoking. I'm not sure why Rotten Tomatoes hates it so much. It really felt very much like one of those Korean movies, at least in plot and character.
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