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I am fascinated by films that observe a character who is behaving precisely, with no apparent motivation. A good actor brings such a role into focus, as Will Smith does in the enigmatically titled "Seven Pounds." Who is he, what does he want, why is he behaving so oddly for an IRS agent? And why won't he kiss Rosario Dawson , when they both so obviously want that to happen?

As Ben Thomas, the man from the IRS, he can get in anywhere and ask any question. But surely the IRS doesn't require him to punch a nursing home supervisor for not allowing an old lady her bath? And why, after he intuits he is speaking to a blind man on the phone, is he so needlessly cruel to him? And why then does he follow the same man ( Woody Harrelson ) into a restaurant and engage him in conversation?

And why does he check into a fleabag hotel? Doesn't the IRS pay him a salary? And what favor does his lifelong friend Dan ( Barry Pepper ) owe him? And why is he looking for people who need their own favors? And so on. For much of the first hour of "Seven Pounds," Ben Thomas acts according to a plan that seems perfectly clear, but only to himself. The reason it goes unexplained is that he has no need to explain it to himself, and no way to explain it to anyone else.

I am reminded of a film you should see some day, Melville's " Le Samourai ," about a man who lies on a bed in a dark hotel room and smokes, and gets up, and pays meticulous attention to his appearance, and goes out into the night, and we have no idea who this man is. I find this more interesting than a movie about a man whose nature and objectives are made clear in the first five minutes, in a plot that simply points him straight ahead.

Will Smith displays a rather impressive range of emotional speeds here. He can be a tough, merciless IRS man. He can bend the rules on some cases. He can have a candlelight dinner with a beautiful woman named Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson) and go home afterward. She can sense his deep sadness. He is angry with people sometimes, but he seems angriest of all at himself. It's quite a performance.

And Dawson makes Emily not simply a woman confused, maybe offended, by his behavior, but a woman of instinctive empathy, who does an emotional dance with him, following his lead when he needs to be treated like an IRS agent or like a perfect gentleman or like a man who needs understanding even if she doesn't know what she's supposed to understand.

I haven't even hinted about the hidden motives in this film. Miraculously for once, even the trailers don't give anything away. I'll tell you one thing: I may have made Ben sound like an angel, but he is very much flesh and blood, and none of his actions are supernatural. He has his reasons. The director is Gabriele Muccino , who also directed Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness." He is effective at timing the film's revelations so that they don't come suddenly like a U-turn; they're revealed at the last necessary points in the story. Some people will find it emotionally manipulative. Some people like to be emotionally manipulated. I do, when it's done well.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Seven Pounds (2008)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material, disturbing content and a scene of sensuality

123 minutes

Will Smith as Ben Thomas

Rosario Dawson as Emily Posa

Woody Harrelson as Ezra Turner

Michael Ealy as Ben's brother

Barry Pepper as Dan

Elpidia Carrillo as Connie Tepos

Directed by

• Gabriele Muccino
• Grant Nieporte

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Seven Pounds

H ere's a mystery drama that's supposed to get us asking questions in a whispery, awestruck voice, questions like: "Oh wow, what's Will Smith doing? What is his secret? What terrible private pain drives him? That aura of tragic, saintly heroism which if anything makes him sexier than ever - what is it all about?" The question I was asking myself after 30 minutes was: "When is this incredibly tiresome nonsense going to end?" The answer, I discovered after a tense squint at the publicity material, was: after another solid hour and a half.

Gabriele Muccino, the Italian film-maker who directed Smith in the 2006 family drama The Pursuit of Happyness , is now at the helm of a movie intended to be both puzzle and emotional journey - halfway between what Variety magazine calls a head-scratcher and a tear-jerker. Maybe make that: tear-scratcher. We are initially supposed to be intrigued by that enigmatic title, unexplained until the very last, and perhaps inspired by Alejandro González Iñárritu's 21 Grams. Gosh, what does "seven pounds" mean? Could it, perchance, refer to the exorbitant price currently being asked for this film's knockoff DVD by the bloke standing outside Tesco Metro in Tottenham? (To be fair, he will throw in Bride Wars for a tenner.)

The action starts with Will Smith agonisingly phoning the emergency services. He is evidently in the midst of a spiritual and physical crisis. Then we flashback to what led up to this calamity, and the puzzle pieces are coyly lowered into position. Smith is Ben Thomas, apparently an officer with the Internal Revenue Service, galvanised by his own mysterious mission – searching, searching, searching for decent, kind, good people.

With incredible condescension, he tells the successful ones things like: "You have a beautiful family." Ben finds himself drawn to one Emily Posa, an artistic type with a picturesque cardiac condition, played by Rosario Dawson, who in the midst of an adorably platonic date, modestly tells Ben: "I used to be hot." (There is of course no ambiguity about who the lesser, not-hot characters are meant to be, and they aren't Emily and Ben; the latter's own notional dishevelment is incidentally signalled by being ever so slightly unshaven.)

The most supremely annoying moment in this supremely annoying film comes when Ben actually insults blind call-centre worker and part-time pianist Ezra (Woody Harrelson) for the specific purpose of testing him: checking whether he is meek and nice and good enough to measure up to his moral standards. Are there any other disabled people he wishes to test in this way, I wondered? If I was Ezra, I would tell our tortured, jug-eared dreamboat to go jump in a lake.

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Seven Pounds Reviews

Employs a mixed tactic of misdirection and a little confusion, as the film jumps around on the timeline and waits to provide an explanation until almost halfway through.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 28, 2020

It was truly Rosario Dawson who completely enchanted me.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Sep 22, 2020

Seven Pounds becomes a mesmerising, powerful piece of film-making that, although not completely perfect... has the courage of its convictions to the end.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 30, 2019

Chokes on its own muddled spiritual regurgitation.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jul 7, 2019

Not only is the idea so far out to be only fiction, it is so sadly executed that you can be pardoned for thinking Will Smith has remade Hancock, with less booze, more heart but as many powers and apparently as much grief.

Full Review | Apr 26, 2019

The reason for the protagonist's actions is so ludicrous that the film's distributors asked critics not to reveal 'the twist'. Unsurprisingly, it's not worth knowing.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 4, 2018

... the ending just raised another question: what the hell was that?

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Sep 12, 2017

I've rarely seen a film so sure of its own seriousness and profundity.

Full Review | Mar 13, 2015

I've never seen such a bad film so well made.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Oct 21, 2014

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 18, 2011

An overwrought, improbable drama that's as frustrating as it is morbid.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 14, 2011

Proof that no black actor, regardless of acclaim or popularity, can ever truly transcend the Mythical Black Man motif. Milquetoast dweebishness robs Will Smith of his natural forcefulness, and "Seven Pounds" has easily the worst ending of the last decade.

Full Review | Original Score: 0/4 | Oct 31, 2010

Reactions to the movie will largely depend on whether or not viewers decide this time that the divine Mr. Smith has overreached. I say he has -- but I can't tell you why.

Full Review | Jul 6, 2010

El ritmo de la cinta es algo lento en un inicio pero después mejora, aunque hay que decirlo, se siente la mano manipuladora del director que parece haber estado más concentrado en pensar si el público se sentiría conmovido que en hacer un filme memorable.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 11, 2010

Seven Pounds may be the most spiritual picture of the holiday season; this story of redemption is a gift for moviegoers.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Sep 8, 2009

The ending will divide viewers. Some will shed tears, others will be outraged. It's a bold artistic choice, but one of questionable morality.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 30, 2009

The creepiest version yet of the Magical Negro routine

Full Review | Aug 26, 2009

Takes immense pleasure in letting its audience in on nothing.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 30, 2009

The good, Will Smith is a brilliant actor. The bad, Seven Pounds isn't nearly as brilliant as Will Smith.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Jun 10, 2009

Will Smith's previous film with director Gabriele Muccino, The Pursuit of Happyness, was a tale well told. Their new one is a gimmicky tale annoyingly told.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Apr 23, 2009

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Movie Review | 'Seven Pounds'

An I.R.S. Do-Gooder and Other Strangeness

By A.O. Scott

• Dec. 18, 2008

“Seven Pounds,” which reunites Will Smith with Gabriele Muccino (who directed him in “The Pursuit of Happyness”), begins with a series of riddling, chronologically scrambled scenes. A man calls 911 to report his own suicide. He badgers a blind call-center employee — whom we suspect will be a significant character, since he’s played by Woody Harrelson — with complaints and insults. He embraces a lovely woman in an even lovelier beach house. He visits a nursing home where he terrorizes an administrator and comforts a resident.

For a while it is pleasant enough to contemplate these loose ends, and to tease from them the possible contours of a story. It is never unpleasant to watch Mr. Smith, who likes to play peekaboo with his charm, hiding it now and then behind fleeting shadows of anguish or malice. The music (Angelo Milli’s score and a handful of emotive pop songs) combines with the deep colors of Philippe Le Sourd’s cinematography to summon up intensities of sentiment not yet arrived at by the narrative, creating an interesting frisson of suspense. After a while, though, as the pieces of the puzzle snap together, curiosity gives way to incredulity.

Near the end of “Seven Pounds” a carefully laminated piece of paper appears, on which someone has written, “DO NOT TOUCH THE JELLYFISH.” I wouldn’t dream of it, and I’ll take the message as a warning not to divulge the astonishing things that happen, not all of them involving aquatic creatures.

Frankly, though, I don’t see how any review could really spoil what may be among 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. I would tell you to go out and see it for yourself, but you might take that as a recommendation rather than a plea for corroboration. Did I really see what I thought I saw?

And I wish I could spell out just what that was, but you wouldn’t believe me, and the people at Sony might not invite me to any more screenings. So instead of spelling out what happens in “Seven Pounds,” I’ll just pluck a few key words and phrases from my notes, and arrange them in the kind of artful disorder Mr. Muccino seems to favor (feel free to start crying any time):

Eggplant parmesan. Printing press. Lung. Bone marrow. Eye transplant. Rosario Dawson. Great Dane. Banana peel. Jellyfish (but you knew that already). Car accident. Congestive heart failure.

Huh? What the ... ? Hang on. What’s he doing? Why? Who does he think he is? Jesus! That last, by the way, is not an exclamation of shock but rather an answer to the preceding question, posed with reference to Mr. Smith. Lately he has taken so eagerly to roles predicated on heroism and world-saving self-sacrifice — see “I Am Legend” and “Hancock” — that you may wonder if he has a messiah clause in his contract. Which is not to say that he doesn’t show range in these films, in which he credibly plays a research scientist, a dissolute superhero and, in this latest one, an I.R.S. agent.

An I.R.S. agent who wants only to help people. This is a nice, small joke that provides a few grace notes of levity in what is otherwise a lugubrious exercise in spiritual bushwa. For all its pious, earnest air, “Seven Pounds” cries out to be remade as an Asian horror movie, so that the deep, creepy grotesqueness of its governing premise might be allowed to flourish, rather than to fester beneath the surface.

As it is, the movie is basically an inverted, twisted tale of revenge. Ben Thomas, Mr. Smith’s character, is in essence a benevolent vigilante, harassing, stalking and spying on unsuspecting citizens for their own good, and also to punish himself. Why such misery should also be inflicted on an innocent, affirmation-hungry audience — and also on the marvelous Ms. Dawson, who plays one of Ben’s victim-beneficiaries — is another matter entirely.

But maybe I’m approaching this in the wrong way. Maybe “Seven Pounds” isn’t a spiritual parable about redemption or forgiveness or salvation or whatever, but rather a collection of practical lessons. Don’t drive while using a BlackBerry. Fertilize your rose bushes with banana peels — sorry, that was a spoiler. But please, whatever you do, don’t touch the jellyfish.

I’m serious. Don’t.

“Seven Pounds” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Swearing. Soulful sex by candlelight. Car accident. Eggplant parmesan.

SEVEN POUNDS

Opens on Friday nationwide.

Directed by Gabriele Muccino; written by Grant Nieporte; director of photography, Philippe Le Sourd; edited by Hughes Winborne; music by Angelo Milli; production designer, J. Michael Riva; produced by Todd Black, James Lassiter, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Will Smith; released by Columbia Pictures. Running time: 1 hour 58 minutes.

WITH: Will Smith (Ben Thomas), Rosario Dawson (Emily Posa), Woody Harrelson (Ezra), Barry Pepper (Dan) and Michael Ealy (Ben’s Brother).

The Movie Review: 'Seven Pounds'

Will Smith is testing us. Over the summer, he tried to get America to swallow the idea of a do-gooding p.r. flack (played by Jason Bateman) in Hancock . We did swallow it--and worse--to the tune of $228 million in domestic receipts. With Seven Pounds , Smith goes further, trying to force the idea of a do-gooding IRS agent down our throats. (Even Will Ferrell, who tried the trick in Stranger Than Fiction , couldn't pull that off.) But if recent box-office history is any guide, the moviegoing public will dutifully devour Seven Pounds and ask for seconds.

Directed by Smith's The Pursuit of Happyness collaborator Gabriele Muccino, the movie takes the form of a puzzle. We watch as IRS officer Ben Thomas (Smith) calls 911 to report a suicide and, when asked who the victim is, replies, "I am." We then flash backward, to Ben receiving a mysterious list of "suitable candidates" he has ordered drawn up; to Ben as the CEO of an aeronautics company, paying too much attention to work and too little to his wife; to Ben in a terrible car accident; to Ben stalking a series of people with medical ailments, alternating between aggressive attempts to gauge their character and lavish exertions to improve their circumstances. What's going on? Is Ben an angel? A ghost? An alien sent to Earth to redeem our sins? He's obviously way too nice to be a real IRS agent.

As Ben wanders around selflessly fixing the lives of perfect strangers--notable among them a blind man (Woody Harrelson in a comical wig) and a woman with a bad heart (Rosario Dawson)--the film looks as though it might shape up to be a paradigmatic fable for our times, the Unpaid Medical Bills Thriller. But from the start there is something bleaker in the background, a dark secret waiting to be unearthed. To underline the point, Smith squints his eyes and purses his lips in an effort to look unhappy in his own skin--an acting challenge so formidable that he might be forgiven for only partly succeeding. For a while, about midway through the film, the central enigma recedes in favor of an extended flirtation between Smith and Dawson (who is as effortlessly magnetic as usual). But once the awkward courtship is consummated, smacko comes the twist ending, rushing back to the forefront like an ill wind.

It's a conclusion more prosaic, and more appalling, than anticipated, and much as I'd like to spoil it, I won't. (Just pay attention to that very first scene, which is more straightforward than you might expect.) Like Hancock , Seven Pounds is a sloppy film, shot through with acute problems of structure, logic, and pace, which the producers evidently thought could nevertheless coast on Smith's well-documented marketability. But Seven Pounds is something worse as well: a dour, morally beclouded film that confuses generosity and grief, self-abnegation and self-annihilation. Yes, it comes prettily wrapped as the package of holiday uplift it fatuously imagines itself to be. But this is a present best left unopened.

This post originally appeared at TNR.com.

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• DVD & Streaming

Seven Pounds

• Drama , Romance

Content Caution

In Theaters

• Will Smith as Ben Thomas; Rosario Dawson as Emily Posa; Woody Harrelson as Ezra Turner; Michael Ealy as Ben's Brother; Barry Pepper as Dan; Elpidia Carrillo as Connie Tepos

Home Release Date

• Gabriele Muccino

Distributor

• Sony Pictures

Movie Review

There’s almost nothing I can say about Seven Pounds without it giving away almost everything about Seven Pounds . I can’t even talk about its title. So consider this a significant spoiler warning.

Will Smith plays an IRS agent named Ben Thomas. Or at least you think he does. Ben goes door to door—and hospital to hospital—auditing people at the oddest times and in the oddest ways. He asks probing, personal questions no IRS agent has any business asking. He pokes around people’s backyards—and hospital rooms—without invitations. He demands to know if they are “good” enough to deserve preferential treatment from the official tax collection agency of the U.S.A.

Stewart doesn’t. But Emily does. (She’s quite a bit cuter than Stewart, and she doesn’t manipulate and harangue the elderly in the nursing home Stewart runs.) So by the power not exactly vested in Ben by the Internal Revenue Service, he grants reprieves and “changes the circumstances”—one way or another—of pretty much everyone he meets.

But Ben doesn’t stop at financial rewards for good behavior. He’s begun to give bigger gifts, too. Gifts that involve him seeking out the sick and infirm, then arranging for certain of his organs to be made available to them as a transplant. He donates bone marrow. He offers up a lung. And a kidney.

And now we’re back to Emily, a woman who has a malfunctioning heart. Ben falls for Emily in the process of auditing her, and he starts to think more and more about her heart—the one she has and the one she needs.

He really does want to do something about that.

Positive Elements

Up to a certain point—which I’ll explore in more detail in my conclusion—Ben’s altruism is inspiring. He cares much more for others than he does for himself. He gravitates to the needy like a dog to dinnertime. And speaking of dogs, Ben takes care of Emily’s Great Dane when she gets sicker and has to be hospitalized.

Ben finds a family that’s desperate for a change of scenery, and sets out to fulfill their every dream. The family is headed by a single mom who is being abused by her boyfriend. She’s so afraid of him she won’t call the cops, but she just might up and move away if she had the wherewithal to do so. Ben sacrificially provides that wherewithal, giving her his house, a car and money to start over.

All he wants from her in return is her promise to “live life abundantly.” (Something he can’t seem to manage for himself.)

Ben often tells those who are close to him that he loves them. He fixes things for Emily, and he weeds her yard.

Spiritual Elements

Life and death and personal sacrifice are all tied tightly into spiritual ideas. But Seven Pounds keeps the core of these concepts at arm’s length. At best—and that doesn’t mean it’s good—we see statues of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus in a Catholic hospital. As the story starts, Ben intones, “In seven days, God created the world. In seven seconds, I shattered mine.”

Sexual Content

Ben and Emily kiss passionately for a few long moments before they fully consummate their passion. Using quick cuts and obscure camera angles, the director shows them taking each other’s clothes off and collapsing onto her bed. The camera does focus on the top of Emily’s breast and Ben’s stomach—both of which are scarred from operations.

While taunting a blind man (to see if he responds in a respectful and “slow-to-anger” way), Ben hurls accusations of virginity at him. There are references to one-night stands (in an oldies song sung by children) and would-be high school dalliances.

Various women wear dresses and tops that reveal cleavage and lots of leg. Ben wears only a towel after showering. Part of Emily’s side is exposed while she bathes. A lingerie store at a mall backdrops one scene.

Violent Content

Furious with Stewart, Ben smacks the man’s head into a window. Frustrated and overwhelmed, Ben throws a chair and a few other things around his office. Emily falls hard and smacks her head on paving stones. We see the bruised face of a woman who has been beaten.

A catastrophic car accident is shown. In slow motion, vehicles spin out, fly through the air, come apart at the seams and are generally destroyed. A woman is ejected and dies on impact.

Ben commits suicide by dumping a box jellyfish into the bathtub with him. It stings him repeatedly as he howls and writhes.

Crude or Profane Language

Two s-words. A handful of other swear words include “a–,” “h—” and “b–ch.” God’s name is linked with “d–n” two or three times.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Wine appears on dinner tables.

Other Negative Elements

Totally committed to his “plan” and thus unconcerned with the “niceties” of life, Ben disregards such things as pet regulations at a motel. His “auditing” questions are sometimes downright rude, and he often makes other people feel very uncomfortable. Personal space and boundaries don’t much matter to him, and as a result he comes off as a creepy stalker more often than not.

There are some bloody views of surgery.

To tiptoe softly around the issues raised by Seven Pounds would be to spend eight or 10 pages trying to explain things. So the only way I can conceive of dealing with the worldview presented is to be bluntly concise: This is a movie about a man who decides that life is not worth living anymore. His decision is made out of both guilt and grief—his wife (presumably) died during a car accident he carelessly caused. Philanthropically wishing to help others as he makes his exit, he arranges for his vital organs to be transplanted into “worthy” people.

“Usually with the films that I make there are ideas that I connect to, but lately I’ve been dealing with the bittersweet in life because it feels more natural,” star Will Smith told Newsweek when asked why he would “take on a character like that” in a movie that “is pretty haunting.” Smith continued, “You don’t ever get it really the way you want in life. That really fascinates me. As an actor there are certain parts of a character that you create, and you train yourself to have those reactions and then it becomes hard to stop them when the role is over. You have to retrain yourself. My character in this film is like hot grits. You know you can’t shake them off and when you do, it hurts.”

Smith isn’t the only one who will have a hard time shaking off Ben. Or the misshapen—and somehow frightening—ideas about life and death that he embodies.

Steven Isaac

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Movie Review: Seven Pounds (2008)

• General Disdain
• Movie Reviews
• 10 responses
• --> December 19, 2008

Weighing in at a very long two hours, Seven Pounds has certainly set itself up to be this year’s heart wrenching opus of personal forgiveness and redemption. It also sets the stage for Will Smith to once again prove that he’s, gulp, one of the more accomplished actors of my generation.

He is Ben Thomas, a matter of fact man with an agenda. Sure, you want to know what it is, but I’m not going to tell you. What I will say is it takes more than half the movie for director Gabriele Muccino to get to even thinking about hinting to what it is. What we know initially is he wants to kill himself — but maybe he doesn’t as he is alerting a 911 operator of his plans. Via a flashback, we find out what led him to this moment.

And through it all we see Mr. Thomas is a deeply troubled man with convictions that are foreign to most. In one scene, he berates a blind meat salesman on the phone named Ezra (Woody Harrelson) with hard hitting insults that caused me to wince in discomfort. In another, he reaches out to Connie (Elpidia Carrillo) an abused Mexican woman and offers her and her children shelter from a boyfriend who beats her incessantly. In yet another, he causes his childhood friend Dan (Barry Pepper) to emotionally breakdown while insisting that he keep his word and do something to or for Ben that no man or woman should have to do. It’s a bizarre emotional roller coaster, that few would want to stand in line for.

But in the midst of it all, he meets Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), a beautiful young lady with a heart condition. At first he tries to remain standoffish not offering to her a rhyme or reason as to why he has befriended her. But she’s having none of it — if he wants in, she does too. Love unfolds where none was expected or wanted. Is he saving her or is she saving him?

The success of Seven Pounds lays strictly with the believability of Will Smith and his being able to convince the viewer that Ben believes what he is doing will truly bring him salvation. Relying on his strong performance from such movies as The Pursuit of Happyness , Smith is able to comfortably juggle the many hats this role forces him to wear. It would have been very easy to slip up and make Ben a calloused, unlikable person, so Will deserves a bit of praise for his characterization. Likewise, it doesn’t hurt that Rosario Dawson puts on a powerful performance herself. She skillfully conveys strength and vulnerability — two overwhelming emotions sure to arise when one is faced with the gut-wrenching knowledge of one’s imminent demise. Watching them break down each others walls as they slowly meander down the path of intimacy was a treat and it was presented as naturally as a love story can be done too.

But, I can’t help but wish the movie was a bit shorter. There are more than a few moments that added very little to the overall presentation and would not have been missed had they been left on the cutting room floor. I’ll also add that Seven Pounds puts forth an idea that requires some introspection and may cause viewers to think, “What the hell was that all about?” While I wasn’t necessarily a part of that group, I know I asked myself a few pointed questions at the film’s conclusion that I would have preferred to not have.

And oh yeah, a quick warning to the men going to see this with their significant others: BE CAREFUL. There are some tear-jerker scenes that could make Attila the Hun well up and cry. Hide some tissues in your jacket pocket, there’s a damn good chance you’ll need ’em.

I'm an old, miserable fart set in his ways. Some of the things that bring a smile to my face are (in no particular order): Teenage back acne, the rain on my face, long walks on the beach and redneck women named Francis. Oh yeah, I like to watch and criticize movies.

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'Movie Review: Seven Pounds (2008)' have 10 comments

December 22, 2008 @ 9:28 am JerseyMike

@General Disdain

You cry? Such a wuss…

On to your review. I find it hard to understand why you thought this movie was any good? Took forever to get to the point, his motives aren’t very clear and as much as we all want to like Will Smith, he’s not a serious actor. Knowing you and your “mancrush” for Will Smith you prolly liked “Pursuit of Happyiness” too…

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December 22, 2008 @ 10:39 am Loren

Wow, JerseyMike does nothing but criticize others. I am sure you do not have any opinions that are YOURS, so you go around and troll other peoples blogs.

December 22, 2008 @ 10:55 am JerseyMike

@Loren – What’s the point of a “Opinion” section of a review if you can’t provide it?

Did you hug that tree yet?

December 22, 2008 @ 11:12 am General Disdain

JerseyMike,

I appreciate your gusto, but let’s keep the attacks focused on me (or other reviewer) and not on other visitors.

For the most part, I’m not a big fan of Will Smith, but I do give credit where it is due. The movie’s success rested with Smith being able to carry the part and I felt he did a good job at it. As for the motives being unclear, that was the idea; there was a payoff in the end — whether you liked it or not is another story altogether.

January 10, 2009 @ 6:00 pm sitstayfetch

Another great movie by will smith, with out seeing it, i know its a great movie, because will smith will do a great job on all this movies

January 11, 2009 @ 11:41 am Jess

Good review. I didn’t like Pursuit of Happyness very much, it was just so sad. I agree that 7 pounds would have benefited from some trimming, just a bit too long.

July 11, 2009 @ 1:38 am Winson John

I can’t believe review made by JerseyMike where he is telling that Will Smith is not known for his serious acting. That was sad statement and I totally disagree. Will Smith was great in both Seven Pounds and in Pursuit of Happyness. Both of these movies I cherish and rate both of these movies very high.

Will Smith performed exceptionally well. For first 20 minutes or so, I never understood what is happening in the movie. I hated Will Smith character because of the way he spoke to that blind person (Woody Harrelson), but as the movie progressed I understood what he is trying to do. Ben Thomas (Will Smith) gave his own seven pounds of body to change life of six strangers and his brother.

Must see movie. My Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

July 11, 2009 @ 3:09 am Bryony

I agree with JerseyMike He made some really fair calls. Will smith did need to do the best acting to make that movie work and yer he gave it a crack but it had some holes in it… When i first viewed it nothing went in until I watched it again. It didn’t really grab me as a great movie.. Guess just yet another Media beat up bout a moive that kinda fell apart

February 18, 2012 @ 5:11 pm Nancylee

This is an extraordinary movie. I am a social worker and deal often with people contemplating suicide. I recommend this movie to my colleagues as it is a story quite different from what we are accustomed to hearing.

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Seven pounds.

• Parents say (18)
• Kids say (20)

Based on 18 parent reviews

Confusing messages for children

Report this review, amazing, inspirational drama.

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Thought-provoking must watch as a family not for kids by themselves, amazing movie, fab.fab.fab, lots of good points 12 and over.

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Movie Review: Seven Pounds starring Will Smith

Seven Pounds Movie Review

Starring : Will Smith, Woody Harrison, Rosario Dawson Director : Gabriele Muccino (Pursuit of Happiness) Length : 2hr 3Min Released : December 19, 2008 Rated : PG-13

“If you are like most you will have one of two reactions, either leaving with your face covered with tears, or shaking your head.”

Seven Pounds stars Will Smith as IRS agent Ben Thomas. It’s a movie that is mysterious throughout keeping the viewer slightly out of the loop wondering what is going on. It is an emotional journey intended to slowly reveal the plot through subtle hints. Seven Pounds is a very slow paced film, only bearable because of Will Smith’s acting prowess. It is pretty clear that Ben, played by Will Smith, is more than he seems as he actively seeks to carefully analyze then help each person he meets.

The story unfolds as Ben makes visits to various people with different needs. Flashing his IRS badge he asks them both financial related questions as well as personal ones. He seems to be searching for something. As he is helping one of these strangers, the guy asks Ben “Why Me?” and Ben says “Because you’re a good person, even when you think no one is looking.” So he seems to be searching for “good people” to help. Why? It is very clear that Ben has a lot of emotional baggage as Seven Pounds is glittered with flashbacks which at first seem to be in the present. He is held captive by some sort of guilt or sad memory.

Overall the movie was well made, but as the quote above says (taken by a comment by user reviewer), you are either going to leave the theater crying or shaking your head. I happen to be the latter, despite the fact I am known to be very “emotional” when it comes to emphasizing with characters. Mainly because very early on in the movie it became crystal clear what the ending was going to be. It came too fast and too early. But then again I am the analyzer type that figures out plots pretty quickly to begin with. But what made me shake my head was not the plot, but the controversy that is the ending… it is definitely worth discussing from many different levels, especially from a moral standpoint.

** beware plot spoilers start here **

Journey to Self Redemption… or not Many other viewers were very touched and loved Seven Pounds. I could definitely see why it would be considered a “tear-jerker” being that it is a journey of spiritual redemption where every tear-jerking stops were pulled to draw in the emotions of the viewer. However, the area worth discussing is the ending. There is no way of discussing the moral points here without ruining some of the plot so proceed at your discretion.

**last warning – spoiler ahead**.

Ben is clearly driven to care for people, not out of love, but out of guilt for the deaths he had caused from a past accident. It is a journey to self-redemption. Throughout the movie he is miserable, constantly haunted by his past. He cuts off his relationships, leaves his brother constantly worried and wondering where he is as he only focuses on trying to redeem his own guilt and ultimately he sacrifices his own life to help others. To be explicit, he commits suicide in order to help those he has deemed to be “good people” by donating his organs and in essence pay for his past.

There is so much to discuss here.

Was it really an honorable thing for him to sacrifice so much to make his wrongs right? Is that even possible? Does doing good, take away the wrong?

Motivated by Guilt or Love? Self or Others? He is living his life to help people in order to fight away his guilt. He is out to find good people who need are in need of dire help. Sounds reasonable enough perhaps even honorable, and the movie does glorify his actions by making his acts seem noble and almost as if this was his last option. If you cant bear with the guilt and can’t live on, might as well do something good as you go. By the end of the movie, you sympathize with Ben and feel like he had to do this and that it was a noble thing he did.

However amidst all the feelings and emotions, you forget You forget that he completely deserted his loving brother who suffers throughout the ordeal. He also pulls in his childhood friend to make sure his organs are donated accordingly, never quite reciprocating his friends love for him and leaving him to suffer in the guilt of the final suicide. He also leaves many behind that love him, mourning and in sorrow. There is no followup showing the dramatic emotional consquences of his death on the people around him and the people who love him. Anyone who has been connected to a suicide knows the immense guilt and sorrow involved by all parties related to the person who commits suicide. Should I have known? Should I have seen the signs? Could I have done something? His brother may ask, could I have done something? His friend could ask, should I have stopped him? His lover may ask, did he do it because of me?

Ultimately suicide is shown to be a very, very selfish act. But all the emotions and the “selfless good” he produced in his death will overshadow this simple truth.

In his quest to appease his own guilt, he leaves a string of hurt people. He also was motivated by guilt for most of the movie with the lone exception of the wanting to help Emily Posa, played by Rasario Dawson, who he falls in love with. (By the way, I found it ridiculous he goes from the initial “Hi” to “What if we had children” within a very short time period). A little too convenient of a setup for another tear jerking moment.

People would argue that the movie glamorizes suicide. I don’t think it necessarily glamorizes it, but it does distorts our perceptions. You end up feeling like what he did was “ok” in the sense that it brought some good, that it maybe was partially out of “love”. It masks all the pains and hurts he caused and the selfish motivations that started it all. Let’s be clear. Suicide is the most selfish act there is. To commit suicide is to take your life because you can’t deal with some sort of pain or struggle despite the fact that it leaves so much pain and guilt for those who are left behind.

Questions Can one redeem himself through good works? Can one do enough good works to cover the guilt of doing something wrong? How can one forgive oneself? Can suicide be justified? Was Ben’s act a selfless or selfish act? How would you have felt if you were Ben’s brother? As Emily?

Feel free to agree or disagree. Leave your thoughts below. Rational clean discussions only.

Other Notes: The speed in which the Ben and Emily fall in love is a bit too hollywood. Not good in the way it will impact our perception of love and relationships. They meet, they date, they sleep with each other, talk about having children, then he dies for her. Is this really how love works?

The main characters do have a love scene, though for Hollywood’s standards, it was done conservatively without nudity or unnecessarily long. Though it speaks volumes about how much Hollywood has succumbed to our sexualized culture that a scene like this would be called conservative.

Beware of violent flashbacks of a car accident.

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I was also the latter, shaking my head as I walked out. Although I enjoyed the movie mostly due to the fact that it was able to get into the lives of several different characters and make you able to empathize with them. I felt connected to each of the people who were suffering or going through a particular struggle, whether that was due to good directing/acting or just my general emotional response is up for debate, but I like the movie because it was able to really put a focus on the need for so much work to be done in our particular lives, but I did not like the overall message at the end, which must be why I left shaking my head.

I watched the movie with my teenage sisters and I definitely have to say that I walked out of the theater shaking my head. Ben is driven so much by guilt that he desperately attempts to rid his guilt by helping other people. Even though it may seem he is doing ‘good’ his final act of ‘love’ or ‘good’ is covered by the selfish act of suicide. To some degree, the movie conveys a message that suicide can be ‘justified’ if done for a good cause. As an older sister, I was concerned about the emotional effects this movie could potentially have on teenagers.

As I discussed the movie with my sisters they came to the very conclusion I dreaded, Ben had done something good to help people. They completely missed the point that Ben had committed suicide because everything he had been doing up o that point was driven by guilt. If my sisters are thinking this, I am sure there are thousands of others who might end at that same conclusion….and I honestly think this is a dangerous place to be.

Thanks for the responses!

I definitely agree that Seven Pounds does highlight how much need is out there. All it took was for one man to look around and he was easily able to find so many people in need. No one can argue that the good Ben did in his life was not for the better (despite his questionable motives).

Whenever we judge a particular message from the media, we can obvious banter back and forth and talk about whether or not we are giving it too much scrutiny or if the subtle messages truly does impact our way of thinking but…

It is one thing to simply make a comment or judge something by feeling. That is easy. “That Rated R movie has ridiculous violence and a unwarranted sex scene, but hey it won’t affect me that much. What is the big deal?” However, it is a completely another thing to think about one’s own younger sister or brother or perhaps one’s own son and daughter as Vanessa does above.

Would you let your child watch that same movie? Do you really think your child would not be impacted if they kept watching some things? Do you want your child to be “not affected” and “deadened” do it like you have? Suddenly it is personal. Suddenly you are more conservative and more careful. I personally think this is the best way to judge a piece of media and it’s message. Truth comes out when we know it may affect the ones we love.

All I want to know if this is a true story?

Is this movie a true story?

The movie makes no reference that this is a true story, so I believe it is a fictional story.

Having said that, let’s hope that this movie doesn’t give people ideas and cause it to become a reality. That would be really tragic for all those involved.

thanks for your comments!

I watched this movie last night and it was AMAZING!!!! Such an awesome awesome movie. I can’t believe that there are people not happy with this movie or talking about “controversy” That is insane! If this movie is controversial then so is 90% of all of the movies out there. How many movies out there are based on revenge? “You killed my best friend or family member, so by the end of the movie, I’m going to kill you” Pretty much every 2nd movie is like that. Murder is okay if you’re killing a murderer. 7 pounds is no more controversial than any of those movies based on revenge. Anyone that argues is wrong. You only feel that way, because your emotions are more wrapped up because of the amazing acting and story line that is 7 pounds . This is an AMAZING movie! And an inspiring one at that. It makes you want to be a better person. You can take more good from this film than most others. I love it, and recommend it for all.

I watched the movie yesterday night alone and I was quite moved by the story. However, I share the same sentiments about how Ben Thomas (or Tim as we later found out) had to end his life and how adamant he was in “following his plan”.

I think his act of suicide was an unwise decision on his part. Very early on I saw through the fact that he’s burning all bridges to do what gives him purpose and meaning to his life again. In his mind, it’s about redemption, having taken 7 lives in the accident, that he repay it with “1 pound of flesh” to each, therefore letting go of the burden in the end. Hence 7 pounds (Remember the Merchant of Venice reference here).

So there, my stance is very clear on his idea of suicide to save others. Was it selfish? Yes. But that’s because everything we do in life is selfish no matter how noble it seems. Mother Theresa was a selfish person. She devoted her life to please god. Nothing wrong there, just to make a point that we are all driven according to what serves us. There’s a lot of selfishness in selflessness if you think about it.

I’m more interested about the evolution of his decision when he embarked on this journey of his. In the beginning, he can be very mechanical on his evaluation of his benefactors. Like he was just getting by with completing his final mission. At the same time, he answers “I’m really good” when asked how he’s been doing. There’s delusion in all of that. Only when he’s alone could you tell how miserable he feels. But when he’s with other people and being of some kind of service, it distracts him long enough to live his life normally.

The scene where he ran back to the hospital was defining. When he asked the doctor if Emily’s condition is any more optimistic than the day before, he was checking the possibility of him being alive for her to be together with. His motivations for his suicide is somewhat changed, however the urgency to commit was greater than ever with his brother’s presence.

It’s more sad than touching that Tim had to choose this faith. It’s not like he’s terminally ill, he had a choice. And I actually felt… “What a waste. All that intellect, and drive, and talent. He could have spent the rest of his life serving others and learning to live with himself.”

Do I feel others could have saved him? Like his best friend who played along? Or his brother? Or Emily herself? Yes. However, they are all dealing with demons of their own, and even if they want Tim to live, he wasn’t letting them into the truth.

Finally, there is this important question that one should consider… Putting intentions and the morality of the suicide aside, what would the consequence be if the suicide failed?

e.g. What if Tim’s heart was damaged during the suicide? What if he had a turn of heart last minute? Or what if he survived the suicide?

If he survived the suicide, Emily gets no heart, Ezra gets no eyes, and Ben would have to take care of his brother for the rest of his life.

I would love to hear more thought provoking questions from others. Thanks.

Warmly, – Tian Yan

P.S. At the end of the film when Emily’s heart was pounding in the background, I actually felt the pain pounding in my chest. The effect was visceral and I felt it. Nice touch there.

i just watched this movie yesterday and i really want to know who were the 7 people he helped out if u watched the movie and thought about the number 7 the whole movie… i just need to make sure that i am correct about the people ben(will smith) helpped out

There’s good info here. I did a search on the topic and found most people will agree with your blog. Keep up the good work mate!

i m quite stunned that most people have this mindset that what Ben did was selfish. to me its the most ‘selfless’ thing he could have done, when obviously he couldn’t live with the fact that he killed 7 people because he was txting and driving. I disagree with you comment that suicide is the most ‘selfish act there is’ how about murder?, what about the victims families, and the pain they feel, these people didn’t want to die they didn’t have a choice. Ben had a choice & made up his own mind about his own life & ultimatly saves 7 lives.

I think the sex scene was much longer than it needed to be. Not the type of scene you want your 13-year old daughter seeing.

I’ve been having this movie for a while now, but I was first introduced to it a year ago. I didn’t hear much about the movie when it first came out. Maybe it was because I had my own personal agenda to deal with at the time.

I love Will Smith in everything character he protray. I love this movie. When I realized that Ben was actually Tim I was like what, okay. I understood what Tim was trying to do. Tim was responsible for the death of seven people because he was texting on his cell phone. That is someithing I believe everyone fail to realize. Tim was on his cell phone texting. This is something that has become a big problem in the world today. Tim believed that because he took the lives of seven people he would give seven people a chance to live. Tim did go to the doctor and new exactly what he was doing. Physically, Time was in excellent health and shape. He had already given his brother Ben an organ and Holly too.

Tim believed that what he was doing was right. It was an admiral thing he did but spiritually it was wrong. This is how he made his attonement for the seven people that died.

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Seven Pounds (United States, 2008)

The primary goal of Seven Pounds is to make viewers weep, and it pursues that aim with a doggedness that is almost commendable. The film manipulates shamelessly and, despite defying logic with its contrivances and unconvincing character portrayals, will succeed in getting many audience members to the point where tears are inevitable. Yet there's no cinematic equation that relates the need for tissues to motion picture quality. Seven Pounds works better the more the viewer feels and the less he/she thinks. On an emotional level, one could decree that the movie is satisfying. On an intellectual level, it's disappointingly shallow.

The story is told in a non-linear and seemingly haphazard manner that confounds and confuses as a means to hide a "twist" until late in the proceedings. Unfortunately, despite their zeal to obscure the main character's central motive, the filmmakers miss the mark - one doesn't have to be Sherlock Holmes to divine the film's ultimate trajectory within its first 30 minutes (especially since the movie opens with one of the final scenes). Since this isn't a thriller, recognizing the destination is less of a detraction than a minor distraction. The bigger problem is trying to put oneself into the mindset of the lead character, who is acting largely because that's the way he has been written. Yes, guilt is a powerful motivator and the quest for redemption can be obsessive, but it would be helpful if the protagonist could pursue these objectives in a manner that's consistent with believable human behavior patterns.

Ben Thomas (Will Smith) is an IRS agent. We know from his flashbacks that, at one time, he was (literally) a rocket scientist. He lives alone but, from those same flashbacks, we know he was once involved in a committed relationship. Ben has a list of seven people he is apparently auditing. He visits one, Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), while she's in the hospital being treated for congestive heart failure. She's on a transplant waiting list but she has a rare blood type and chances for her long-term survival aren't good. Ben informs her that she owes back taxes but he'll do something with the paperwork to give her a few months' reprieve. He moves on to other clients, but his thoughts keep returning to Emily. He visits her home. He slips into her hospital room at night and gazes at her. Meanwhile, Ben has moved out of his beach house and into a seedy motel room. His only companion is a pet jellyfish. He's a strange person but we understand that his past is marked by an unrevealed tragedy and he is seeking a way to make the rest of his stay on earth meaningful. And that means helping people, and perhaps not just by fudging their tax returns.

Seven Pounds demands a bigger leap of faith than some viewers will be capable of making. Ben more closely resembles a Biblical icon than an individual. Seen objectively, some of his actions, which are presented as benevolent, have a cruel side. Either director Gabriele Muccino doesn't realize this or chooses to ignore it. Ben is deeply disturbed, perhaps even clinically insane, but Seven Pounds chooses to present him as a man on a mission. In a way, this is French art film territory, but there are no subtitles and the lead actor is one of America's biggest and brightest stars.

If nothing else, Seven Pounds raises legitimate questions about the lengths to which it is reasonable for someone to go to achieve redemption. Are some sins so grave that they can never be expunged? (See The Reader for a more profound and disturbing examination of this question.) Can guilt and pain be confused and does the alleviation of one lead to a release from the other? And can acting in the "best interests" of another confer upon them a burden that they are unable to accept? The last question, which may be the most unsettling, is sidestepped entirely by the movie. In its quest for closure and catharsis, it doesn't want such messy strands left dangling.

In the midst of all this angst can be found a tender love story, and therein lies Seven Pounds ' core of strength. The affection that develops between Ben and Emily is touching and heartfelt, and it keeps the movie from spiraling into a pretentious abyss. There are a lot of things in Seven Pounds that feel artificial, but the quiet moments these two spend together are genuine. Will Smith and Rosario Dawson sell the relationship. It has meaning. They're both deeply wounded in their own ways and that adds to the intensity of their scenes together.

This is Smith's second appearance for Muccino. His previous effort, The Pursuit of Happyness , had a similar grim, serious tone. Muccino, who came to Hollywood from Italy, plainly sees more in Smith than most other filmmakers do. Yet arguably the actor's greatest strengths are his likeability and charisma, and to strip him of them as Muccino does here may be doing Smith a disservice. His scenes with Dawson flow but there are other sequences in which is performance is awkward and unconvincing, although this may have something to do with the screenplay's overplotted quality.

I believe Muccino's intention with Seven Pounds is to make a spiritual, uplifting motion picture, but I found it to be uncomfortable and depressing. Seven Pounds is an interesting experiment in Oscar-baiting but, while it may make viewers cry, it doesn't achieve its loftier aims. In fact, the message with which I departed the theater was more prosaic than philosophical: put away the cell phone when driving.

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SEVEN POUNDS

"love heals".

What You Need To Know:

(BB, CC, Pa, LL, VV, S, N, A, MM) Strong moral worldview about the healing power of love with some strong metaphorical Christian, redemptive content that also includes some overt Christian symbols interspersed throughout the story and some poetic metaphors to Christ’s sacrifice, but with a few moral and theological problems that dilute the power and inspiration of the material; 11 obscenities, two strong profanities and two light profanities; strong brief violence with blood such as shots of terrible car accident with a van flipping wildly over several times, surgery scene in hospital, woman faints and falls on hard sidewalk, man angrily wrecks things in office, suicide references, and man angrily shoves man against glass on door; passionate kissing moves to bed and implied fornication occurs; upper male nudity; implied wine at dinner; no smoking; and, strong miscellaneous immorality such as lying, fraudulent representation, implied stealing, and man deliberately berates blind telemarketing person to test him.

More Detail:

SEVEN POUNDS is not as good as Will Smith’s previous collaboration with director Gabriele Muccino, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS. Even so, it is still a captivating movie with some poetic, inspiring moments.

Smith plays Ben Thomas, an IRS agent still suffering turmoil from a terrible car accident where he unintentionally killed seven people, including his fiancée. The story opens with Ben calling 911, asking the operator to send an ambulance because he’s about to commit suicide. The story appears to flash backward to reveal what brought Ben to this point. It shows Ben investigating several delinquent taxpayers. Ben is trying to find out if the people are good or bad, to justify whether he should give them a break or not. He learns that the first one he investigates, a doctor, is not treating his elderly patients well, so he slams the guy’s head against a door and angrily leaves.

Ben investigates Emily, a beautiful heart patient played by Rosario Dawson, who’s waiting for a transplant. After speaking to her, he decides she deserves an extension on her case, so he gives her one. He can’t keep from seeing her, however, even though he’s still in turmoil over the death of his fiancée.

As Ben helps Emily and tries to help a Hispanic woman who’s being beaten by her boyfriend or husband, his brother desperately tries to find where Ben is hiding. Ben has left his beach house to stay at a motel near Emily. The mystery of Ben’s full intentions builds while he and Emily begin a tenuous romance. Their romance makes it imperative that they find a heart donor for Emily before it’s too late.

The tension and redemptive power of SEVEN POUNDS slowly mounts as the story’s mysteries are eventually revealed. References to Jesus occur in the set design. Some of those occur in the hospital where Emily stays, St. Matthew’s, which is also a reference to Ben’s job as a tax collector. Along the way, there are several twists, which results in a final sacrifice.

The director admitted to MOVIEGUIDE® that his movie’s redemptive religious imagery is indeed symbolic of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. Also, Rosario Dawson said the movie is about the transformative, redemptive power of love. In fact, one could say that the movie is about the healing power of love. Thus, SEVEN POUNDS ultimately is redemptive, inspiring and life affirming, but bittersweet.

There are a couple moral and theological problems with Will Smith’s character, however, that dilute these positive themes. For example, Ben lies in the movie, and, eventually, he and Emily go to bed together. Finally, Smith’s character is looking for “good” people to help, whereas Jesus Christ, in his sacrifice on the Cross, died for all men, both His friends and His enemies.

Given these problems and the movie’s slow pace, plus some foul language, MOVIEGUIDE® recommends three stars for SEVEN POUNDS and a caution for older children.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

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Seven Pounds Review

16 Jan 2009

125 minutes

Seven Pounds

By far Will Smith’s biggest departure from the smart-sassy persona that made him the biggest star on the planet, Seven Pounds is a strange little movie, part puzzle, part love story, part maudlin study

in grief, part odd little indie flick. In outline, it sounds like a miserable Pay It Forward — it’s better than that — but, despite strong moments and interesting visuals, Smith and his Pursuit Of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino never really resolve its various strands into something coherent and satisfying.

Like a morose Pudsey, Thomas’ (Smith) plan is to help seven strangers in need, so we see a somnambulistic Smith wander round hospital wards, fend off his distant brother, build relationships — particularly with Woody Harrelson’s blind pianist, Elpidia Carrillo’s battered mother and Rosario Dawson’s cardiac victim — all the while having the odd flashback to The Terrible Tragedy that has caused his emotional ennui. Taking a march from The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, Muccino reflects Thomas’ emotional narcolepsy through dreamy, airy images, all bizarre compositions, rampant overexposure and sloppy focus. But the first half is confused rather than intriguing, and while you sense it will all prove important later, it fails to really engage and illuminate.

Smith is in serious mode, stitching together elements from previous roles: the everyman with normal problems (The Pursuit Of Happyness); the stranger who shakes up people’s lives (Six Degrees Of Separation, Hitch), the tortured misanthrope (Hancock). But unusually for Smith, he can’t give you a way into the character, striking a note of befuddled melancholy without ever making you feel Ben’s pain. However, as he begins to emerge from his stupor through his relationship with Emily (Dawson on good form), the film moves into more conventional territory. This is some of the nicest stuff, and you can see Smith visibly relax.

How Thomas’ masterplan reveals and resolves itself aims to be cathartic and moving, but the first half of the movie hasn’t earned the investment needed for the big emotional finish. It’s a movie that wants to say Big Things about guilt, penance and redemption, but unfortunately can’t muster the insight.

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Seven Pounds

• A man with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.
• Haunted by a secret, Ben Thomas looks for redemption by radically transforming the lives of seven people he doesn't know. Once his plan is set, nothing will be able to stop him. At least that's what he thinks. But Ben hadn't planned on falling in love with one of these people. — Happy_Evil_Dude
• The IRS tax collector Ben Thomas seeks out Emily Posa and resolves her situation with the IRS. Emily has a serious heart problem and is waiting for a donor, but her blood is very rare and her odds are low. Meanwhile Ben seeks out other people to help them in a journey for redemption for what he did in the past. However Emily and Ben unexpectedly fall in love with each other, but Ben does not have the intention of changing his plans. — Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Academy Award nominee Will Smith reunites with the director and producers of The Pursuit of Happyness for this emotional drama concerning an IRS agent whose quest for redemption is unexpectedly complicated after he inadvertently falls in love. Ben Thomas is an IRS agent with a fateful secret. Assuming the identity of his younger brother, Ben sets out in search of redemption.
• The movie starts with Tim calling 911 to report his own suicide. Two years ago, Tim Thomas (Will Smith), sending a text message while driving, caused a car crash in which seven people died: six strangers (Ken Anderson, Nicole Anderson, Ally Anderson, Ed Wright, Steven Philips, Monica Freeman) and his fiance, Sarah Jenson (Robinne Lee). In a bid for redemption, Tim sets out to save the lives of seven good people, although this goal only becomes clear near the end of the film. Throughout his journey, Tim keeps repeating the names of the 7 people he killed, to remind himself why he is doing what he is doing. A year after the crash, having quit his job as an aeronautical engineer, Tim donates a lung lobe to his brother, Ben (Michael Ealy), an IRS employee. Six months later he donates part of his liver to a social services worker named Holly (Judyann Elder). After that, he begins searching for more candidates to receive donations. He finds George (Bill Smitrovich), a junior hockey coach, and donates a kidney to him, and donates bone marrow to a young boy named Nicholas (Quintin Kelley). Tim has stolen his brother's IRS credentials & uses that to get information on all potential recipient candidates. He also visits them at their place of work & at home to figure out whether they deserve his gift of life to them. He visits Stewart Goodman (Tim Kelleher) who runs an old age home and needs a bone marrow transplant. He finds that Stewart has bought a new Beemer but has reduced operating costs at the center by 17%, causing untold misery to the old people. Tim rejects Stewart when an old patient tells Tim that Stewart punishes her and bursts into tears. Two weeks before he dies, he contacts Holly and asks if she knows anyone who deserves help. She suggests Connie Tepos (Elpidia Carrillo), who lives with an abusive boyfriend who broke her ribs just a month ago. Tim tells Connie that he can help her and leaves his number. But Connie asks Tim to leave. Tim moves out of his house and into a local motel, taking with him his pet box jellyfish. One night, after being beaten, Connie contacts Tim and he gives her the keys and deed to his beach house. She takes her two children, and they move into their new home. Having stolen his brother's credentials, and making himself known by his brother's name Ben, he checks out candidates for his two final donations. The first is Ezra Turner (Woody Harrelson), a blind meat salesman who plays the piano. Tim calls Ezra Turner and harasses him at work to check if he is quick to anger. Tim tries to provoke Ezra by saying that he wants to return the meat he bought from the company, as it is no good and, in the process, personally insults Ezra. Tim taunts Ezra as a blind meat salesman who doesn't eat meat. Tim calls Ezra a virgin and says that the world is surrounded by beauty and yet Ezra cannot see anything. Ezra remains calm and Tim decides he is worthy. He then contacts Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), a self-employed greeting card printer who has a heart condition and a rare blood type. Tim visits Emily at the hospital secretly. Tim approaches Emily and says that he is from the IRS, and she is being audited for not paying taxes of $56,240.19. Tim knows that Emily has congenital heart failure, and that she is considered sick, but not sick enough to be on a donor recipient list. So, if her heart fails suddenly, she will most probably die. Emily considers that she does not deserve a heart as her life is unremarkable in every way. Tim gives her some respite by marking her accounts as noncollectable, penalty free, for the next 6 months. He spends time with her, weeding her garden and fixing her rare Heidelberg Windmill press. He begins to fall in love with her and decides that, as her condition has worsened and she is admitted to the hospital, he needs to make his donation. Emily is put on the donor list as she only has 4-6 weeks left with her current heart. Tim's brother Ben tracks him down at Emily's house, demanding that Tim return Ben's IRS credentials. After an interlude with Emily, Tim leaves her sleeping and returns to the motel. He fills the bathtub with ice water to preserve his vital organs, climbs in, and commits suicide by pulling his box jellyfish into the water with him. His friend Dan (Barry Pepper) acts as executor to ensure that his organs are donated to Emily and Ezra. Ezra Turner receives his corneas and Emily receives his heart. Afterward, Emily meets Ezra at his concert at a park, and they begin to talk.

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Film Appreciation : SEVEN POUNDS

By: Lokesh.M Director: Gabriele Muccino About the Film: “Seven Pounds,” directed by Gabriele Muccino, is a soul-stirring drama that weaves a complex tapestry of guilt, redemption, and the transformative power of human connection. The film follows Ben Thomas (Will Smith), a man burdened by a tragic mistake from his past, who embarks on a mission…

By: Lokesh.M

Director: Gabriele Muccino

About the Film:

“Seven Pounds,” directed by Gabriele Muccino, is a soul-stirring drama that weaves a complex tapestry of guilt, redemption, and the transformative power of human connection. The film follows Ben Thomas (Will Smith), a man burdened by a tragic mistake from his past, who embarks on a mission to change the lives of seven strangers as a form of atonement.

One of the film’s most notable strengths lies in its non-linear narrative structure, which skillfully unveils Ben’s enigmatic backstory in fragments. This deliberate storytelling technique adds a layer of mystery and intrigue, keeping the audience emotionally invested and gradually revealing the depth of Ben’s personal anguish. Will Smith delivers a standout performance, showcasing his versatility by portraying Ben with a quiet intensity, conveying the character’s emotional complexity with subtlety.

The supporting cast, including Rosario Dawson as Emily Posa, Michael Ealy as Ben’s brother, and Woody Harrelson as a blind pianist, contribute exceptional performances that enhance the emotional impact of the story. The chemistry between Smith and Dawson is particularly poignant, driving home the film’s central theme of finding redemption and love in unexpected places.

The cinematography by Philippe Le Sourd is visually striking, capturing the essence of each scene with a mix of intimate close-ups and sweeping shots. The muted color palette reflects the somber tone of the narrative, while the deliberate pacing allows for moments of quiet reflection, emphasizing the weight of Ben’s actions.

“Seven Pounds” explores profound themes of sacrifice, interconnectedness, and the potential for redemption. The film challenges viewers to confront moral dilemmas and question the motives behind acts of kindness. As Ben navigates the lives of those he seeks to help, the narrative unfolds with a delicate balance of heartache and hope, leading to a climax that is both emotionally charged and cathartic.

The film’s title itself is a metaphorical reference to Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” where a pound of flesh represents a debt to be paid. In “Seven Pounds,” the weight of guilt becomes a central motif, and as the layers of the narrative are peeled away, the true significance of the title becomes apparent, adding an extra layer of depth to the storytelling.

While “Seven Pounds” may be criticized for its emotionally heavy-handed approach, it undeniably succeeds in creating a memorable and thought-provoking cinematic experience. For those who appreciate films that explore the complexities of human emotions and the possibility of redemption, “Seven Pounds” stands as a powerful and moving piece of storytelling.

Film theory:

“Seven Pounds” can be analyzed through the lens of ethical formalism, a film theory that explores moral dilemmas and the consequences of ethical choices. The movie follows Ben Thomas, who grapples with guilt and seeks redemption through altruistic acts. Ethical formalism posits that actions are intrinsically right or wrong, and Ben’s meticulous planning to positively impact the lives of seven strangers aligns with this theory. The film prompts viewers to contemplate moral complexities, challenging them to evaluate the ethical dimensions of Ben’s actions and the interconnectedness of human lives. The non-linear narrative structure contributes to the unfolding ethical exploration, making “Seven Pounds” a compelling study in moral philosophy within the cinematic realm.

Movie types & justification:

“Seven Pounds” defies easy categorization, as it seamlessly blends elements of drama, mystery, and redemption. At its core, it operates as a psychological drama, delving into the complex psyche of the protagonist, Ben Thomas, as he grapples with guilt and strives for redemption. The film’s narrative structure, with its non-linear storytelling and gradual revelation of Ben’s past, adds a layer of mystery, keeping the audience engaged in uncovering the truth. Additionally, the movie can be viewed as a character study, exploring the emotional intricacies of individuals interconnected by fate. As Ben orchestrates his altruistic acts, the film takes on a redemptive quality, aligning with themes commonly found in redemption dramas. Furthermore, the film incorporates elements of romance, particularly in the heartfelt connection between Ben and Emily Posa. The multifaceted nature of “Seven Pounds” contributes to its unique appeal, making it a film that transcends genre boundaries and offers a poignant exploration of human emotions and moral complexities.

Semiotics in the movie:

“Seven Pounds” employs semiotics, the study of signs and symbols, to convey meaning and enrich its narrative. One prominent semiotic element is the recurring motif of the jellyfish. Throughout the film, the jellyfish serves as a symbolic representation of both fragility and resilience, mirroring Ben Thomas’s internal conflict. The translucent and delicate nature of the jellyfish reflects the vulnerability of the characters, particularly Ben and Emily. However, the jellyfish’s ability to survive and thrive in adverse conditions also symbolizes the potential for resilience and redemption. The use of the jellyfish as a visual metaphor adds depth to the film’s exploration of guilt, redemption, and the fragility of human connections. Additionally, the symbolism surrounding the number seven, from the seven strangers whose lives Ben seeks to impact to the film’s title itself, adds a layer of semiotic complexity, inviting viewers to interpret the significance of this recurring motif within the broader thematic context of the movie. Overall, “Seven Pounds” masterfully utilizes semiotics to convey nuanced layers of meaning and enhance the audience’s engagement with the film’s profound themes.

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