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Seven Pounds 2008
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
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- Flicks Review
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Flicks review
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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.
By Andrew Hedley, Flicks.co.nz
The Peoples voice
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Enjoyed it but read the label before consuming!
4
This is a maudlin movie. You know the sort of diminished sentimentality that you find most often in American chick-flicks.
However, I still enjoyed it!
It is a wonderful watch if you like to enjoy the journey. Music, if you like the tunes used, fill the gaps - literally intermezzos. And colour or the lack of it is used to emphasise the emotional condition of the main character. Nicely done.
Avoid this if you like "truth" movies that draw you along with the storyline or the characters. This movie is a contrived "falsity": you cannot engage in the first half because it is too hidden and the second-half is a bit convenient. Perhaps that's why 'D F Stuckey' (see review below) sees a "glaring problem" that does not exist as this is not a movie about a tax man. Maybe D F Stuckey didn't watch the last 15 minutes or got that impression from the trailer!?By Mark
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I liked this Movie!
4
Why is it that the younger generation of today seem only be fully entertained by reality and/or massive action? Although I do have to concede that the initial explanation of this drama's storyline was a bit 'mysterious and clouded', especially at the beginning of the movie, the topic and situations were a little different and some quite thought-provoking. No bombing, explosions or killing, no bad language, or escape from improbable, mind-numbing violence, just entertaining, a little romantic, and with an 'unexpected' ending. I liked this movie!
By Ray Fowke
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Overuns by 2 hours
1
The movie is a complex mess of bad direction and surprisingly bad acting from Will Smith. Dawson steals the show with a solid performance in from Woody.
Very missable tale of self destruction and how guilt can make a man illogical.By Crucades
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get to the point please
2
i just needed to watch it all the way through to see what the bloomin heck this movie was about. Will smith right? had to be good... had to GET BETTER. nothing of the sort unfortunately
By Krystall
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OTT
1
Had us going for the first part and we were ready to leave an hour in without a bad taste in our mouths.
But there was more....and omg it did go on. Looks like something someone who no longer lives in Australia would make wearing there rose coloured glasses. Over acted and too PC. Loved Nullah but he too was a bit cliched. Just got irritating and laughable.By Maria
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Fantastic movie
4
I must say I am very surprised that some people have called this movie trash. I throughly enjoyed the movie & really enjoyed the plot & the fact that it was thought provoking & not like the usual Hollywood Predictable Crap.
The movie did make me cry & I don't have a problem admitting that, as that is just further proof that the director & actors/actress's have done a marvellous job on this one.
A must see in my book - go see it with an open mind & be prepared to be challenged & stimulated by "what's gonna happen next".
Cheers, GBy Grant
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Almost a classic
4
The only thing missing from this movie is more information at the beginning to give you a clue as to what is happening.
My guess is the bad reviews stem from people who got lost and when the film wound up they felt bad for missing the point.By J T
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Guilty as charged!
5
I am surprised that the flick.co.nz film reviewer Andrew Hedley couldn't appreciate this movie by applying its notions to his own life. The guilt of Will Smith's character and the valuing each day on Earth by the character Emily played by Rosario Dawson. Having the privilege of seeing the world through other peoples eyes is what films are all about. This film was unusual for a Hollywood movie because it didn't have a happy ending. In fact the ending is disturbing.
By Epicurean
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Nice stuff
4
A very good movie but sadly not for the idle minded..
By Kay Rasta
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Well worthwhile watch
4
An intriguing worthwhile watch, with credible acting talent hitherto unseen from Will Smith. While the reality of the plot could be questioned in the real-world sense, this movie is thoroughly gripping and thought provoking at a level not many movies reach. A must see !
By April
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You must be blind and deaf not to like this movie
4
from the opening scenes Will Smith had the audience spell bound with his capivating preformance of an emotionally torn man trying to come to terms with the demons of his past while trying to grant a better life to those that were deserving.
I found this to be a great movie that grabbed me from the start and din't let me go until i was half way home after it had finished.
Well done to all the actors involvedBy Movie Guru
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Unbelievably awful
1
What a disappointment. A boring, boring movie with a confusing story which was not sorted until the end - most unsatisfactorily. Anyone who cried in this would be a sad character. It was a silly story to start with and Will Smith overacted. It dragged on interminably and no - he wasn't a tax man - just pretending to be. This explains some of the confusion.
I would not recommend this to anybody.
Everything Andrew Hedley said went through my mind. He is right on the button.By Liz
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Seven Pounds well worth it's weight...
5
I just came home from watching the movie "Seven Pounds" and I have to say, it's not often a movie intrigues me enough to give it a second thought, but this movie disturbed me.
It is not a horror or a thriller by any means, this was not the cause of the disturbance, it was more psychological on an emotional and more specifically physical level.
It hits you on so many layers and I am not easily shaken. Granted it's still not enough to entice me to tears cos well I'm not a big cryer, but I did spend the better part of the movie inching in my seat, more so towards the end. It made me physically uncomfortable, some scenes I didn't even watch, I just listened to.
Will Smith can do funny, he can do dramatic but this is something entirely different. This time he brings something totally unseen to a film that I never really thought he had in him, a definite talent.
I arrived ten minutes late, and in the eerie silence that followed the last scene I didn't stick around to read the credits so I have no idea who wrote or directed the film but even now, it still affects me. Waiting in line at Starbucks I couldn't help but pace back and forth as if in a daze, not really focusing my sight on any one point, but just deep in thought.
I think it's a phenomenal movie, and even if you're not an avid movie goer, you still must give it a screen. It even brought me to certain realisations upon comparison to my own life, which doesn't happen often from simply watching a film.
As I say, I am not one to be easily shaken, disturbed or even mildly affected by a mere movie but "Seven Pounds" is of a completely different element.By Rhonda
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Better than Curious Case...
5
Awesome but sad movie. Gloria Dawson is beautiful.
By Mike
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Unbelievable.
2
Well, a friend dragged me to this and frankly, it's a reasonably put together movie on the lines of CRASH.
However there is one glaring problme with the plot. Will Smith plays an Internal Revenue agent who decides to assist seven people to make their lives better.
Yes. A Tax man tries to improve people's lives.
And I get criticised for watching "Far-fetched Sci-Fi crap"??????By D F Stuckey
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 2 out of 5 stars
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 2 out of 5 stars
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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