I have a confession to make: I really get a kick out of having my socks knocked off. No, not in a fetish sort of way, and not from riding high speed roller coasters (although I do enjoy that, but have yet to loose any shoes let alone stockings). Instead, I'm referring to movies that contain some sort of twist or unexpected development of such great extent that you can feel the sticky theater floor underfoot as a result (okay, not to that gross extent, but you get the point).
The problem, of course, is that being a professional movie reviewer, I've pretty much seen every twist known to both storyteller and pretzel makers. Accordingly, it's fairly hard to catch yours truly, as well other movie aficionados, off guard, especially when said twist and/or surprise isn't disguised well enough and/or can be seen from out in the parking lot before one enters your local multiplex.
Such is the case with "Seven Pounds," the latest dramatic, Oscar-baiting pairing between director Gabriele Muccino and lead actor Will Smith who last collaborated on the decent if misspelled "The Pursuit of Happyness." Here, rather than playing a single man sans job and home but with kid, he plays an IRS field agent who comes knocking (talk about a surprise you don't want to see) with a nebulous agenda.
But first, Muccino -- working from Grant Nieporte's screenplay -- has the film start near the end where Smith's character calls 911 to report a suicide -- his. That's followed by brief voice-over narration about shattering his world in seven seconds (compared to God creating His in 7 days), and then calling a customer support rep on the phone and berating him about being a blind vegetarian. When he hangs up, Ben Thomas nearly breaks into tears and then smashes a chair in anger over what he's just done, as well as what he did in the past in those pivotal, aforementioned seconds.
Thus, we know something strange is at play, especially as he's got a list and is checking it twice, but not, it would seem, in the good way, or so it initially appears. That, and Muccino's use of a slight ethereal quality to the visuals and sounds had me hooked, especially with occasionally returned-to views of a similarly otherworldly looking box jellyfish, both beautiful and dangerous but certainly not lacking force of character in its abilities.
Alas, as the clues continue to pile up, especially the one involving the character played by Rosario Dawson, it's far too easy to predict where things are headed, particularly due to the storytellers unwisely offering up flashback views of the pre-story catalytic event that spurs all that's to follow. Since those involved with the flick (including Smith on "The Tonight Show") seem to think people will nevertheless be surprised by how things turn out, I won't give away the conclusion, but I think most people's socks will be okay.
Their tear ducts, on the other hand, might just get a working out, although viewer reaction will likely wildly vary. For me, I'm a sucker for films where people help those truly in need and make a great sacrifice in doing so, so I might be a bit more prone to being affected by that, even knowing when and how it's coming. Others might just see the whole thing as a pretentious bunch of manipulative hooey and thus end up mad and/or bored rather than teary.
I will admit that the total package is better in concept than execution, as the underlying premise is both compelling and engaging in its self-sacrificial altruism, but the presentation of that is a bit heavy-handed and certainly too obvious at times. That said, and despite playing a character on edge, Smith is as magnetic and charismatic as ever, and will likely cause some viewers to end up like his character's best friend (a sparsely used Barry Pepper) who doesn't want to see him complete his agenda.
Others will groove on the budding, if potentially tragedy-laced romance between his and Dawson's characters, and they do have some decent moments and chemistry together. That said, I found the film bogging down when Emily takes center stage over the other people Ben is supposed to be helping. I get what the film is trying to be and say by where it's headed, and understand the varied time tables that are in play regarding them, but it would have been nice (not to mention smart on the filmmakers' part) to have spread the focus around a bit.
In the end, and despite my socks never being in danger, I found this to be a flawed, but emotionally affecting drama designed in an easy to swallow fashion with Smith as the pill, if you will -- about making amends and coming to peace with guilt and past trauma. "Seven Pounds" rates as a 5.5 out of 10.
![[Logo]](/images/screenit_logo2.jpg){kind=logo}
