About Features Reviews Community Screenings Videos Studios Home
December 2008
SEVEN POUNDS

by Wilson Morales

SEVEN POUNDS

Distributor: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Screenwriter: Grant Nieporte
Cinematographer: Philippe Le Sourd
Composer: Angelo Milli
Cast: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Michael Ealy, Barry Pepper, Woody Harrelson, Robinne Lee
Running Time: 2:03
Rating: PG-13 (Profanity, Sexual Situations)

   










There comes a time when the madness of being the 'go-to' and reliable guy at the box office crashes into a wall. Every actor has their peaks and valleys. One good film doesn't guarantee the next film will be the same.

This can be said for Will Smith's latest film, 'Seven Pounds'. As mysterious as the producers, including Smith himself, want to be about the plot of the film, the pacing of the film is painfully slow that by the time one gets to the payoff at the end and understands what's going on, you may be fighting to remember what happened during the film if you stayed awake for it. As good as Smith has been at the plate (box office) with hit after hit, he struck out with this at bat.

As shown in the commercials, Ben Thomas (Smith) is an engineer who is still traumatized by a mistake he caused years ago and is looking for redemption. He chooses seven individuals who he feels can help mend his own fences, including a lovely female (Dawson) whom he would eventually fall in love with.

Directed by Gabriele Muccino, who worked with Smith on 'The Pursuit of Happyness', the pacing of the film is what takes away any emotion that the audience may have felt for the character. At the same time, none of Thomas's actions seem believable once you have figured out what he's trying to do. Folks need to have a sense of realism if you are looking for them to understand the character and everything surrounding them.

Most of the supporting actors with the exception of Dawson are wasted with limited screen time. Blink and you will never know Michael Ealy is the film or that Woody Harrelson was more like a prop than a character.

Dawson is able to hold her own with Smith and her beauty is probably what keeps the film alive. Smith is doing his best to give you a heartfelt story at the end of the year, but he may have overdone it. It's time to go back to basics and entertain us so that we don't have to yarn throughout the film. If you happen to be a film buff, then think of this film as 'Pay It Forward' Meets 'Meet Joe Black'.