7 Days

Just like in the recent Australian revenge thriller The Horseman, we have another Father who's snapped and is now taking matters into his own hands on account of his little girl's demise. Where that film brought a more in your face, action oriented style, 7 Days bring you a more heady approach that focuses on despair, grief and self-conflict. But that's not to say this one, on any level, is less brutal.

As I hinted at, 7 Days is a story of a Father's vengeance for his 8 year old daughter that was raped and murdered. He masterminds a plan to get the perpetrator alone for 7 Days so he can quell his own flooding emotions. It's a simple story that people across the board can relate to, but only a select few would ever try to tackle; and it shows, as this is no joy-ride for the Father, and his actions against his daughter's killer are eating him up inside.

7 Days is an engrossing film; with it's bleak and unforgiving style, it captured me right from the get go, and didn't let loose until the final scene. And at it's core were the performances by the actors involved, who all did stand-out jobs. But I have to really commend the man who played the murderer, Martin Dubreuil. He did an amazing job as a man going through a smörgåsbord of pain and mental battles. One scene in particular, where himself and our lead (Claude Legault) had a face to face; it literally had my breath at a stand-still.

I was not expecting to enjoy this film as much I did. I'm super hit or miss with any film that has torture in it; as I think most people are. I feel like I've seen every single one as well; from the mainstream Hostels to the cheap and ugly, Scrapbook, to the overly ridiculous and vile, The Butcher. And as a whole, the sub-genre is pretty weak. But when torture is used as a secondary outfit in a movie, instead of the go to ploy, then I feel, there's hope for the sub-genre. This movie first and foremost delivers a story that thrusts you into the Father's shoes, and urges you to relate through either simple but affective symbolism, affective and violent outbursts, or scenes of pain-staking solitude. And also adding in a sub-plot with a hardened but sensitive detective that's trying to stop our protagonist, the film only intensifies.

7 Days is a graphic, intimate and emotional film that tells the story of questionable actions from the side you're supposed to be caring for. As the man descends deeper into vengeance he'll quickly reach a fine line that may be impossible to turn back from. You take this journey with him, not knowing which way he'll go.

I base myself on the fact that i've viewed a lot of horror films and psychological thrillers and the like, this is unlike any i have seen although i did watch a trailer on the DVD when it loaded about a little boy thats abducted and killed and the parents the father being a doctor get revenge 'the torture' although i haven't seen said film yet I'm kinda thinking its gonna be the same thing..

I like the fact there is no soundtrack to this film, i really get a sense of the parents pain and I'm pretty sure if someone did that to my daughter i wouldn't be responsible for my actions either.

Its graphic yet moving and the actors played the roles well.. Honestly cannot complain

Director Daniel Grou shows that he has much promise. First, a film without music is rare, and in this case was perfect. Secondly, the action, while graphic, moves smoothly. It is a story, a film, that you will remember seeing.

The film begins with an unforgivable crime—the rape and murder of a 8- year-old girl by a convicted sex offender. Her father, a wealthy surgeon (Claude Legault), chains the alleged killer in a secluded dungeon, savoring his captive's (Rémy Girard) slow torture.

The doctor, dismissing all he previously stood for, is torn by guilt as he proceeds. It is an excellent chance to reflect on the desirability of revenge. His last statement really drove that home.

This movie is very disturbing, and I am used to violence in movies. In fact, it is not the violence that disturbed me, but rather the very, very tense atmosphere charged with various emotions. It feels so heavy, I am still uneasy, an hour and a half after watching it. Those who have watched Saw or Hostel will find the violence bearable, but this is not a gore movie like these two franchises; it is a psychological film. I believe that knowing these actors very well (not personally) made me biased towards this movie. I am convinced that if the movie would have featured different actors, or perhaps if it wasn't Québécois, I wouldn't be as troubled as I am right now. It is a weird feeling that I cannot really explain.

The movie itself is very well done, technically and artistically. Daniel Grou's direction is near perfect for that kind of movie, expect maybe a few shots which, in my opinion, were unnecessary. The movie has no soundtrack at all; long stills of the character(s) in silence help getting in the mood, help understanding, if that's possible. Which brings me to this point: this is a rather slow movie. It reminds me in many ways of Asian cinema, particularly (some) Japanese movies (maybe Yasujiro Ozu). There is minimal dialogue, but well delivered by the actors and I have to give a mention to Martin Dubreuil, who played Anthony Lemaire. I didn't know him before this movie and he delivers a terribly solid performance here. Claude Legault is also excellent.

All in all, this is a great film. There is one thing I recommend though; do not see this in the theatre, because of the damned food and plastic bags noises. The silences in this movie need to be respected and it is very annoying when you hear someone talk during this movie, even more so because there's no music. Rent it or buy the DVD (Blu-ray?).

This is my first review, I hope it makes sense.

"Does knowing your wife's murderer is behind bars make life any more bearable?"

"7 Days" is a powerful and brutal film about a happily married surgeon who as a result of the rape and murder of his daughter falls into a dark obsession with revenge. WARNING: this movie is VERY graphic and not for the easily offended or people with a weak stomach. "7 Days" deals with a very difficult subject matter and does not hold back.

Claude Legault (Bruno) and Rémy Girard (Hervé) did an incredible job with the acting. Fanny Mallette (Sylvia) also did wonderfully, though I would have liked to have seen more of her throughout the movie. I found myself wondering why the director did not feature more of the mother's struggle. There is one scene in particular that showcases the raw talent Legault and Mallette have. It was a tour de force of brilliant acting.

However, the movie is not without it's faults. One of the more interesting decisions made by the director was to not include a musical soundtrack. This worked I think in favor of the atmosphere but there could have been some fill in music at times. It seemed like the director was trying to fill holes in the story a bit too hard. There were a couple of things that didn't make much sense to do and the ending left a little to be desired.

"7 Days" may not be the cream of the crop of revenge flicks, but it does succeed where others fail. It is such a harrowing subject matter and is shot in such a realistic way that you are forced to have an emotional response, whether you like it or not. There are some powerful visuals that will stay with you for days, possibly months after.