Movie Review: Newly Released on DVD, Seven Pounds is an Overlooked Jewel

The movie Seven Pounds, released during Oscar Season last year and woefully overshadowed by bigger guns such as Doubt and Revolutionary Road, had a poster that gave nothing away, except what it was not. It featured Will Smith, but it was not a blockbuster action movie, because he was simply attired in a business suit, as in The Pursuit of Happyness. There was no cute kid, though, just a very somber look on his face. Not a comedy, either, like Hitch. This is going to be one of those movies that make you think, I decided, and I love Will Smith (yes, even in Hancock, which actually turned out to be a rather touching movie), so I added Seven Pounds to my Blockbuster queue.

It's been released within the last week or so, and we saw it last night. I was right; it's a movie that makes you think, and one that makes you feel. It's a little heartbreaking and a little uplifting and a little awe-inspiring.

It's also a mystery that must be unraveled; one of those movies that starts in media res with something very big indeed happening, but you have no idea what's going on at first. Then, bit by bit, things are revealed to you, and you start to piece things together and make educated guesses. Some of your guesses turn out to be right, and I would not be surprised if you are able to guess the main direction of the story a decent amount of time before it is openly revealed, but you never grasp the full extent until the very end. That's one of the wonderful things about the movie: The pace at which things are revealed is satisfying, causing you to remain constantly engaged, yet never frustrated.

What's the other wonderful thing? The humanity. The human face of tragedy and redemption, the integrity of Smith's character, the vulnerability of Rosario Dawson, the surprisingly gentle Woody Harrelson in a rather small but brilliantly played role. This is an acting tour de force by Will Smith, who, even though he is playing a character who at times seems to be living a double life, never strays from the underlying relentlessness, the determination, that inhabits that character. I wish I could tell you what the title means, but it would give away the main idea. I wish I could tell you a little more about the plot, but like I said, it's one of those movies you're supposed to go into completely fresh, so don't look up any other reviews, don't look at any summaries, just rent it. You will not be sorry.