Seven Pounds (2008) Movie Review

Will Smith returns to his dramatic chops in the reasonable, but uncomfortable Seven Pounds, which reunites him with his The Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino. With his role as Ben Thomas, this is unlike any material that Smith has ever touched before. Though the notion of redemption is well-intentioned, the execution in this film is dark and uncomfortable.

Ben Thomas is an IRS agent that has a tormenting secret and sets out to change the lives of seven total strangers. After signing his beach home over to an abused mother (Elpidia Carrillo) as one of his good deeds, Ben checks into a rundown hotel and buys a jellyfish. The film then entails a few sequences of Ben committing acts that make him seem bipolar, such as insulting a yelling at a blind salesman (Woody Harrelson) over the phone and ignoring his brother’s (Michael Ealy) requests of his current actions. Ben then befriends a terminally-ill young woman named Emily (Rosario Dawson), who finds hope in Ben by his kindness. Flashbacks linger throughout the entire film to unfold the puzzle of the film, in which all the confusing scenes make sense by the end of the film.

Muccino beautifully shoots the film by also brings a lot of subtly to its unfolding. Working from a script by Grant Nieporte, the content of Seven Pounds is not happy, and the final twist of the film will either make you hate the film, or emotionally connect to it. The title of the film is significant to William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, in which one pound of flesh is awarded to the Shylock to cover one character’s benefactors. The title references the seven strangers that Ben encounters. The jumbling of flashbacks scenes is at times confusing, but Muccino straightens everything out by the end of the film. The dialogue is also at times bulky, but does not take focus away from the film’s story of redeeming one’s guilt.

Will Smith is terrific as Ben Thomas, and though it is not his best work, his mannerisms and emotions show how solid of a dramatic actor he is in territory that he has not been a part of before. Rosario Dawson is passionate as the ill Emily and she and Smith have surprisingly good chemistry. The supporting cast of the film is also solid, which includes Barry Pepper, Michael Ealy, and Woody Harrelson.

Seven Pounds is not for everyone, it is very uncomfortable look at one man’s redemption that could be seen as confusing, disapproving, or endearing and compassionate. The film is well made and has strong performances despite it is harsh content and an at times confusing construction of the sequencing.