Seven Pounds.
In this hard hitting drama, director Gabrielle Muccino, formerly of the Pursuit of Happyness, pairs once again with Hollywood heavyweight Will Smith to whip another tale of loss and redemption at us in movieland. With an ensemble cast, a strong script, and support from the major studios, Muccino attempts to hit us with strike number two of his one-two combo of heavy dramas. How does he fare? Lets find out.
Will Smith stars as Ben Thomas, an IRS Agent with a secret. Tormented daily by the weight of his actions in his previous life, Thomas sets out on a mission of redemption. By finding seven honest to god good people, Thomas commits his life to changing these peoples' lives whether they know it or not. Along the way he meets and enters into a deep relationship with Emily, played by the stunning Rosario Dawson. As the relationship between Ben and Emily strengthens, Ben continues his quest of helping these complete strangers in their times of need. Supported by a monsterous supporting cast of Woody Harrelson, Barry Pepper, and Michael Ealy, who act as the people Thomas aims to help, we follow as Smith leads us on a journey for Ben to overcome the devilish secret in his past.
I've read all over the internet that Seven Pounds was a poor film, and I'm going to respectfully disagree. For my money, Seven Pounds was one hell of a film. While I will go ahead and say that it wasn't anything stunning or ground breaking, I cannot find it in me to see this as a bad movie. Right from the beginning, the film touts it's greatest assett, the strength of the actors involved. There isn't a single scene in this movie that is poorly done, so kudos to all involved. I myself am a fan of Mr. Will Smith and I was glad to see him turn in another wonderful perfomance as a man hell bent on helping others. Redemption is a common theme in movies and Seven Pounds delivers a strong tale of that. I was also pleased with the performances of the entire supporting cast, especially Rosario Dawson as Emily, an artist by trade with a heart ailment that prevents her from working in her field. I wish Hollywood would give her more of a chance to be the heavyweight in the leading actiress role she can be.
Seven Pounds however, isn't without flaw. There's nothing glaring at you as a problem, at least not to me, but there are a few issues to be addressed. At times, the sense of drama and mood in the story is a little much. I know the story is meant to be played very seriously, but very rarely does that mood change. Some may think that's a good thing, but it can be a little daunting to feel consumed by drama for two hours. Also, as much as I appreciate the story and watching Smith travel his dark road of redemption, parts of the story are a little unfocused. I get that the relationship between Emily and Ben is one of the main themes of the movie, but its presented in a way that makes it feel like its a distraction from the rest of the plot. Some parts feel under developed because so much time is diverted to the time Ben spends on Emily.
Overall, Seven Pounds seems like a pretty strong film to me. I didn't find it to be lacking anything, but rather, its execution was off. Some mood changes and a more focused would have accompanied the strong performances and relatable characters much better and we would have had a much better film to talk about today.
Grade: B
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