SEVEN POUNDS
IS DAMNED GOOD:
THE CRITICS ARE WRONG,
SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
I went to a screening of Seven Pounds tonight in Beverly
Hills, thinking it might be a waste of time considering the blasting
it's gotten by many of the critics. I was careful not to read any
reviews, except for a couple of headlines, but since there seemed to be
a consensus among a good deal of the film assessors I wasn't expecting
much.
Well, as a TV and Film professional, I can only explain it away by
making an analogy to the old saying, "Those who can, do, those who
can't (in this case creatively work in the entertainment industry)
become critics."
I'm not saying they're always wrong, but with Seven Pounds
they definitely are. It's not a fabulous film and it's a bit tedious at
times, but it's intriguing from the outset and holds you in suspense
until the very end.
We open with Ben Thomas, played by the usually affable and winning
Will Smith, in the midst of a dire circumstance followed by his
character acting like a real asshole. He's an IRS agent and while I in
no way want to remotely express a prejudice against this profession (do
you think I'm crazy with tax return season coming up?), he gets
involved in the lives of several people in a very questionable way.
In particular, he takes an interest in Emily Posa, played engagingly
and in an often confused state by Rosario Dawson, who owes the
government a bundle and is apparently on the list for a heart
transplant. Ben's taking an interest in her is really a euphemism for
what some might consider stalking, and we're not sure what's going on,
nor do we have a real clue for much of the film.
In fact, most of the people he investigates are in some kind of
trouble and it almost appears that this picture will be a sort of
return to classic TV's The Millionaire show. This is mostly
due to his interaction with best friend Dan, played by Barry Pepper,
who is exhorted to carry out his legal instructions for the
aforementioned Dawson, a blind man portrayed by Woody Harrelson, a
dialysis patient played by Bill Smitrovich and a battered woman played
by Elpidia Carrillo. One begins to think this is all because Ben Thomas
has a terminal illness and is evidently not long for this world. Or is
he? Well, you'll just have to go see the film to find out.
Seven Pounds is as much a love story as a whodunit and a
tale of redemption. What is Ben Thomas' motivation and what does he
hope to get? Even while treading water through some of the soapier
scenes, and there are a few -- but not too many, you never want to
leave your seat, because there could be a piece of the puzzle you just
might miss.
Writer Grant Nieporte and Director Gabriele Muccino have provided a
satisfying and somewhat different take on a romantic thriller, maybe
not on the level of North By Northwest, because no one's on
the verge of getting murdered, but the precipice of circumstances upon
which Smith and Dawson have to maneuver are no less daunting than Mount
Rushmore.
Seven Pounds has gotten an unfair and raw deal from a lot
of critics, with some exceptions. However, this writer advises that you
may very well be more than satisfied.
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