Home > Drama >

Seven Pounds

Watch Now

Seven Pounds (2008)

December. 18,2008
|
7.6
|
PG-13
| Drama
Watch Now

An IRS agent with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.

...

Watch Trailer

Cast

Similar titles

Reviews

Kidskycom
2008/12/18

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

More
PiraBit
2008/12/19

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

More
Tayyab Torres
2008/12/20

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

More
Roxie
2008/12/21

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

More
dansview
2008/12/22

It's very slow, super sentimental, to the point of annoyance, and hides the surprise until the very end. But there are enough teaser flashbacks to give you the general idea of what's going on. I kept my guard up to be ready for a Left Wing political message about the need for socialized medicine. Yet it shows that taxes can overly burden people. So perhaps I was just being paranoid, based on past experience, or the fact that it was Will Smith.I always demand character development. Our guy seemed to be an upscale professional with a nice girlfriend in his previous life, and we hear where he grew up and went to school. We also see a caring and concerned brother.But we never hear whether he had been religious or a passionate secular humanist, or if he had served in the military, etc. Had he been an idealistic person, a lover of humanity, someone with a powerful moral conscience, or did he become more like this after certain spoiler events?Meanwhile, one nice byproduct of the slowness, is that we do get a little character development for the primary supporting characters. Rosario Dawson, who started her career in a most bizarre fashion. (Do the research), actually gave a perfect performance. We felt her pain without being slammed over the head. Her needs were truly human. To engage in meaningful work and find love.Smith's role was a challenge. There's always the danger of him using his mass appeal to manipulate our emotions beyond what is called for. He walks that tightrope pretty skillfully this time. Because carrying the burden that he has will make anyone a depressing character, but this guy continues to have smiling moments and doesn't burden too many people with his story or his guilt. There is some music-manipulation, but it could have been worse. Some reviewers are quite upset about our character's choice for redemption. They say the film glorifies it. But perhaps not. His choice is not for everyone, or even recommended. But for this particular guy, it was what he wanted. Yes it was selfish in terms of how it might affect his brother and friends. But he is neither a husband or father, and we don't see any parents. He already did some good professional work, and fell in love at least twice. Now he's ready to move on. Had he waiting until he was an old man, his donations would have been unusable.

More
lirb-ballou1
2008/12/23

What could require you to give seven pounds of your flesh? What catastrophic situation in your life could make you decide if someone is worthy of your sacrifice? Ben Thomas (Will Smith) is a man dealing with those questions-a tormented man struggling to decide who does or doesn't deserve his gift. Ben disguises himself as an IRS tax auditor, following, and at times stalking, his clients in order to assess their worthiness. In the process, he falls in love with one of his clients, a dying woman named Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson). Will Smith coproduces this picture and teams up again with director Gabriele Muccino from "The Pursuit of Happiness." Watching this movie, you will be kept in the dark for much of it, wondering where the story is taking you, but hold onto hope-there is resolution in the end. It is hard to describe this movie without giving away the plot, so let's just say that Mr. Muccino takes Grant Nieporte's screenplay, and orchestrates the written word into artfully cinematic scenes where each profound moment leads seamlessly to the next. Seven pounds is a movie that struggles to define the meaning of a gift. I found the subject matter to be appropriate for the Christmas season. After the it ended, I wasn't left wondering about the details of the movie, but rather I left wondering about the message. As Ben Thomas gave his gifts to those in need, it became apparent that his life was the one, in fact, most in need of healing. When we think of giving gifts, we think of the joy that goes along with it, and we all have heard that it is better to give than to receive. What if, however, that giving comes from a place of guilt, shame, or obligation? Does that make the giver any less noble, or the recipient any less grateful? These are the questions you will reflect on long after the movie is over. The film sometimes depicts Ben Thomas as something of a saint, but you may conclude otherwise. His gifts to others were certainly incredible, but a saint he is not, for in discovering the true motivation for his gifts, we also discover that this motivation is exactly what makes him more like us-all too human.

More
waelkhan4
2008/12/24

This is the first time I write a review for a movie, but Seven Pounds encouraged me to release my feelings. This movie is one of the most emotional and deep movies I've ever watched! It takes you to another world where you think and question everything about our lives, death, and sacrifice. It takes you to a very deep level of thinking where you ask yourself if your life has a value or not, and what could add a value to this life. I think the last scene tells everything about this movie, when the heart and the eyes of the same person gather again in two different bodies, that was strongly emotional!

More
The Movie Diorama
2008/12/25

It is extremely rare for a film to get me emotional, I am essentially dead inside. Yet here I am, alone in my house, wiping a few tears away as I say out loud "pull yourself together!". To describe the plot would be doing it an injustice, but essentially a man contacts seven strangers in an attempt to turn their lives around. This raises the fundamental question: why? Now that would be a spoiler. Now I'm not tearing up just because it's a beautiful heartfelt drama, no no. I'm emotional because it just goes to show that performing acts of kindness can really make a difference in someone's life. We now live in a world where we keep ourselves distant from others. Isolated. Solitude. But what if you went outside and decided to help someone, even if it was just a stranger. The little difference you could make to their lives may just change your own. Seven Pounds eloquently explores that, perhaps slightly too melodramatically but it was required to make its purpose apparent. The extremities that our protagonist goes through to help others is rather inspiring. As the plot thickens, we soon start to unravel why he is doing this...and it's utterly heartbreaking. The last twenty minutes...damn. Just damn. It got to me. For that reason alone, I will remember this film for many years to come. This is undoubtedly one of Will Smith's best performances. Nuanced, understated and emotionally complex, he was able to evoke a sense of morality and innocence that we should all pursue in our own lives. Not to the extremities that his character undergoes, but kindness is a powerful trait to acquire. The supporting cast were excellent also. Big fan of Rosario Dawson who pulled in a beautiful performance. Woody Harrelson was good, would've liked to have seen more interaction with him. Direction solid, musical score hard hitting, wonderful cinematography...I could go on. To say Seven Pounds is a "nice" film is wrong. It's more than that and deserves far more attention, albeit slightly too melodramatic.

More