Seven Pounds

If this film doesn't get nominated for an Academy Award, there is no justice. It was an astonishingly good film. The storyline unfolds piece by piece and keeps you guessing until the end, trying to figure out who this character is and what he's up to. The juxtaposition of such a dynamically humanitarian man being an IRS auditor is the first thing that piques your interest and the mystery grows from there. In order to be an excellent film, you need a good story, good screenplay, and good acting. Seven pounds has all that and more. The story was upheld by outstanding performances by Will Smith, Rosario Dawson and Barry Pepper. It's more than a touching film. It's one of those rare films that actually makes you take stock of your life and reexamine your priorities. Kudo's to all involved.

Seven Pounds follows the story of Ben Thomas, an IRS agent on a mission to redeem himself from a haunting secret. We follow him on his mission to seek out seven strangers in desperate need of help. Ben's plans are complicated when he meets and falls in love with Emily (Rosario Dawson), a young woman with a terminal heart condition. Italian director Gabriele Muccino brilliantly pieces together a tragic modern day Shakespearian love story, weaving between the present day and glimpses into the dark past. Seven Pounds is not a kick back and zone out film, you have to work as an audience member to put all the pieces together. The more you allow your mind to work in this film, the more you will get out of it.

I don't give out 10 stars easily unless it's a film that can keep me guessing. A film that will make me want to see it through to the end, not because I paid hard earned cash, but because I truly care about the characters and where they're going to end up. If you like me, then you're going to want to see this one.

Will Smith has always been an interesting actor for me. I watch everything he does because I'm a huge fan. I must admit that the idea of him playing another heartbroken, distanced from the world individual (Hancock, I am Legend) made me a little annoyed, but this one was a home run. The character Ben Thomas is such a mystery that you want to know what he plans to do; for others, for himself, etc. As the story unfolds, so does his intentions and not in a really simplistic way. He's a complex person, but not so much that he aggravates me. He's intriguing.

The connection between Will Smith and Rosario Dawson is so well done and so believable. This is how it's supposed to be done. There's a chemistry in their acting that I haven't seen in about 10 years or so. I'm not exaggerating. I haven't seen too many films where the chemistry is genuine; kudos to the both of them.

It is very touching and sad, yet heartwarming. Geez, did I say that? I walked away from this one feeling good. That's what it is in the end. A feel good movie.

This film blew me away. The acting was superb, the story was heart wrenching and I truly believed in the characters. Some of you may say that this film is just another in a list of movies such as Pay It Forward.

This is a fallacy. This film here grabbed me from the start and will stay with me for weeks. It's a very powerful film and Will Smith and the rest of the cast deserve our applause and respect for playing their roles so well. Credit to the scriptwriters and director for also allowing this film to exist, it was amazing.

A definite must see film and one worthy of nomination for awards.

9/10

Will Smith gives one of the best performances of his career in this film, about a tax collector crippled with some guilt and inner demons using his job to be judge, jury and executioner over people. The less said about the plot the better, as any more may spoil the movie.

Will Smith demonstrates the scope of his acting abilities in this film, like he done years previous in "The Pursuit of Happiness". He goes from ranting and raving abuse at a blind man one moment, to helping an old vulnerable lady who has been neglected in a nursing home the next. He is a complex character, and even more complex to us the viewer is the source of his guilt and inner rage, manifesting in how he punishes himself daily. Smith is truly captivating and powerful in this performance .