Dvd
Seven Pounds
The actor/director combination of Will Smith and Gabrielle Muccino who brought you The Pursuit of Happyness join forces again. Smith plays Ben Thomas, an IRS agent whose existence is so numbing his state borders on suicidal. First though, he seeks redemption for the wrongdoings of his life, a task he intends to fulfil by changing the lives of seven deserving strangers. Everything changes though when he falls in love with one of those recipients (Rosario Dawson). Woody Harrelson co-stars as a blind pianist who also comes in for the Good Samaritan treatment, while Connor Cruise, the adopted son of Tom and Nicole, gets his first big screen role too.
Starring Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Barry Pepper, Madison Pettis, Michael Ealy, Connor Cruise
Directed by Gabriele Muccino ('The Pursuit of Happyness')
Written by Grant Nieporte
Drama | 2hr 3mins | Rated (M) | contains adult themes | Origin: USA | Official Site »
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The Talk
19 votes / No comments
Flicks review
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2
The first act of Seven Pounds is a riddling hodgepodge of non-linear narrative that attempts to create a sense of mystery. It’s also something of a first - how often is it that a film reviewer can sit through the first thirty minutes of a mainstream movie and not understand what’s happening?
I yawned all the way through the disjointed and dramatically unsatisfying middle section as every underwritten and confusing scene passed, with a hunch that this was headed for the absurd. Eventually those suspicions were confirmed, after two hours (they felt longer) of waiting. You will never hear of a dramatic premise so ridiculous and downright morally dubious. I can’t give anything away here (that’s by no means an incentive to see this drivel) but let’s just say there’s a jellyfish involved.
That’s right – this is all very, very silly stuff. Harder to swallow, however, is the expectation that we should be emotionally moved by this tripe. Has Will Smith, who also produced this, lost his mind? These filmmakers must be operating under the assumption that audiences are stupid, because this is a pious, manipulative, morally repugnant, laughably bad excuse for a drama. One star added for decent production value and a likeable Rosario Dawson.
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The people's reviews
15 reviews
Press Reviews
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Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Some people will find it emotionally manipulative. Some people like to be emotionally manipulated. I do, when it's done well.
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Empire [UK]
2
A collage of strong scenes, dull bits, good filmmaking and a dissatisfying emotional payoff. A laudable attempt to tackle heavyweight subject-matter that ends up just being heavy weather.
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FilmThreat.com [USA]
Seven Pounds is the very definition of a 'noble failure.'
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Hollywood Reporter
The film's Italian director does achieve in his second American outing a pleasing blend of Hollywood professional sheen and European sensitivity to character details and nuances.
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New York Times
The most transcendently, eye-poppingly, call-your-friend-ranting-in-the-middle-of-the-night-just-to-go-over-it-one-more-time crazily awful motion pictures ever made.
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NZ Herald [Russell Baillie]
2
It's truly gruelling. And while the Shakespeare reference might be just one of this film's more obvious confused ideas, at least that title is about half right. Because Seven Pounds sure sinks like a stone.
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Variety [USA]
An endlessly sentimental fable about sacrifice and redemption that aims only at the heart at the expense of the head. Intricately constructed so as to infuriate anyone predominantly guided by rationality and intellect.
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Village Voice [USA]
Dispiritingly obvious and phony from top to bottom.
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