Las Vegas Weekly : - Seven Pounds

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Seven Pounds

Thu, Dec 18, 2008 (midnight)

This movie review contains a spoiler alert, which shouldn’t matter since the movie is rotten already.

Relentlessly tugging on your heartstrings like a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, Seven Pounds is manipulative treacle of the worst kind. Director Gabriele Muccino and screenwriter Grant Nieporte build up a wellspring of false sympathy and then exploit it with a horribly cheap twist ending that uses the same plot device as the schlocky horror movie Awake. The film’s arty, out-of-sequence storytelling serves only to obscure the clichéd, Oprah-style sentiment at its core. The more that gets revealed, the more phony the movie seems, until the overwrought finale produces far more groans than tears.

Seven Pounds

Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Michael Ealy.; Directed by Gabriele Muccino.; Rated PG-13.; Opens Friday, December 19; Find movie showtimes here
Beyond the Weekly: Seven Pounds; Rotten Tomatoes: Seven Pounds; IMDb: Seven Pounds

Even before that, Muccino envelops every moment in a constant hushed score that projects a vaguely ominous, somber tone, and Smith gives a very heavy performance as IRS agent Ben Thomas, introduced calling 911 to report his own imminent suicide. Just why Ben is committing suicide doesn’t become entirely clear until the end of the movie, but you can probably put the pieces together as you watch him travel around LA talking to various down-on-their luck folks and deciding whether or not they are worthy of his help.

Primary among those is Emily Posa (Dawson), a calligrapher with a failing heart who also happens to owe tens of thousands of dollars in back taxes, and with whom Ben gradually falls in love. When it’s finally revealed why Ben sought Emily out in the first place, the combined strain of all the contrivances is more than the movie can bear.

In the meantime, Ben goes around stalking his subjects, intruding into their lives and then asking invasive, highly personal questions. He’s like some sort of roving, belligerent self-help guru. As he gives generously of himself, we come to learn that although he’s helping people, he’s really the one in need of help. Shocking, isn’t it? Ben’s brother pops up every now and then to remind us that Something Is Not Right, but Smith’s leaden, charisma-dampening performance sadly says it all. Even the incandescent Dawson can’t make noble-sufferer Emily into anything more than a tearjerking automaton. By the time the movie ends with (spoiler alert!) what is most likely cinema’s only instance of suicide by jellyfish, the only person you’ll want to cry for is yourself, for having been fooled into sitting through the whole thing. –Josh Bell

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6 Comments So Far

Dear Mr. Bell,
All I have to say is that you are truly one of the worst critics I have ever heard of. I can't help but wonder who hired you for this job, and to think that you get paid for this. In other words your review sucked. You should probably good back to school read some more and then watch movies so you can enhance your judgemental state of mind. For some reason I would like to believe that this has been your first attempt at criticing. You are not, by any means, a connisseur of movies.

Posted by: defineelement on 12/19/08 at 1:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Mr. Bell,

I have to agree that your criticism of Seven Pounds was horrible. Unfortunately, it is critics like you that the media likes to give a voice to. If anyone who reads this wants a real opinion of this movie check out what all of the Yahoo Users thought about it. Or just ask anyone who has seen this movie, with exception to this hack.

Posted by: wingnut898 on 12/19/08 at 6 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Dear Mr. Bell
I regesterd on this site just so i could leave a comment saying that you discust me in so many ways. i think that you are jealous that Will Smith is one of the greatest actors in HOLLYWOOD. Your idea of a reveiw, is no different then a baby puking on his mom. The RETARD who hired you also must be stupid for not fireing you yet. and if he is reading this, i say that he should either fire you or quit. you right the most discusting reveiws. Soooooooo what do you think of I AM LEGEND, huh did that movie suck to? and if you see this and say yes, i would HAVE to say that you are the dumbest person on earth. you SUCKIDY SUCKIDY SUCK SUCK.

Posted by: ericshowlund on 12/19/08 at 8:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I actually registered so I could leave a comment in support of Mr. Bell's review. Contrary to Smith's obvious fans ranting here. I have always found Will Smith's films disappointing. Smith BRAGS about his box office clout. But box office does not always equate to a good film. Go back and watch Independence Day today and tell me that is a film you enjoy watching today. I was interested in "Legend" but when I saw Smith was in it. I knew it would dissapoint and it did. Same goes for "Hancock" another film with an interesting premise that flounders. Smith has made some good films but no way is he as great as his fans think he is. Smith is more of a bankable star than a maker of great films. I have not seen this latest film so I won't comment. But it doesn't sound very interesting to me. I will be in theater showing the "Mr Button" film with Brad Pitt and made by Director Fincher.

Posted by: tjirish34 on 12/20/08 at 2:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Josh,

i thought this movie sucked and films like this, "Independence Day," "I Am Legend" and more exist as nothing more than opiates of sublime stupidity that re-enforces every stereotype Hollywood has for its viewers, namely that we are dumb.

Good job.

Posted by: Jame_Gumb on 12/27/08 at 5:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Unlike most of the previous bloggers, I completely agree with your criticism. This movie was predictable and phony with a cheap ending. Anyone who says they enjoyed this film needs to have themselves evaluated professionally. It was boring and completely un-enthralling. In general I enjoy Will Smith movies. This was a poor selection for him. Next please.

Posted by: Mas_IQ_de_U on 5/13/09 at 6:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)