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List Price: $19.94 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 1041
Released: March 31, 2009 |
| Our Price: $9.25 |
| Used Price: $2.18 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Academy Award® nominee Will Smith (2006, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, The Pursuit of Happyness) stars as Ben Thomas, a man at a crossroads searching for a way to redeem his heavy conscience. He discovers he has the power to change the circumstances of seven strangers who deserve a second chance. But when one of them captures his heart, he must decide if he should reveal his secret -- even if it means giving up on his plan.
Description of Seven Pounds:
The mysteriously titled Seven Pounds stars Will Smith as Ben Thomas, who flashes his badge as an IRS agent to gain entrance into the lives of seven strangers in need. To each, he offers something that will reverse their troubles, seeking to atone for a haunting past mistake. But when Ben starts falling in love with a young woman with heart trouble (Rosario Dawson), his carefully laid plans threaten to collapse. To reveal more of the story would diminish it. Smith is an engaging, charismatic presence, but the impact of Seven Pounds comes from Dawson--she has the kind of emotional transparency that shimmers off the screen. Which is crucial, because Seven Pounds requires considerable suspension of disbelief; some scenes push and pull at plausibility, and you may question a few plot turns after the movie is over. But as the story unfolds, the performances can carry you over these bumps. If you surrender to its gently circling rhythms and its luminous images (including the glowing undulations of a poisonous jellyfish), Seven Pounds will pack an emotional wallop, heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Also featuring Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan), Michael Ealy (Sleeper Cell), and Woody Harrelson. --Bret Fetzer
Stills from Seven Pounds (click for larger image)
Seven Pounds Reviews:
7 POUNDS OF FLESH AND A LITTLE TOO MUCH FAT! 
2009-11-20 - Before I get blasted on this review let me point out that I did enjoy this film and it has several good performances in it. The story is both depressing and uplifting at the same time and if this film was trimmed a little here and there it would have made an even better movie. We are hooked from the opening credits and the story keeps us busy trying to figure out what is going on, but there are several instances when I felt a scene went on too long and actually hurt the momentum. Don't get me wrong this is a film well worth seeing, but to be honest it could have used a little editing. I also figured out quite a bit of this film well before they revealed anything. The short is it's a sad and uplifting story with excellent performances from Smith and Dawson.
Unbelieveable! WILL CHANGE YOUR VIEW OF THE WORLD! 
2009-11-13 - This movie is just unbelieveable. Highly on the top of my favorite movie list. What this movie does to you will just change how you view the world. Unlike some of the other reviews, I will not use a "Spoiler Alert" here, however, I will suggest that everyone does see this movie. This, in my opinion, should be a MUST SEE for anyone (well, mature audiences).
It changed my view on the world, and might very possibly change yours.
Very, Very bad movie 
2009-11-08 - This is the worst movie I've ever seen in my life. Very slow going move, no excitement, no surprises, definitely no action and way too much drama. This is a disgrace to all movies ever made in history.
Intensely sad, but in its own way, uplifting, too.
2009-11-06 - Starring Will Smith as a sad, tortured man who used to have it all, this lyrical tale of guilt and redemption is best viewed through the prism of the emotions on display- intense sadness, happiness, and often a mix of the two- and not the logic that moves the story forward. So, as you're watching, it's best to not to ask yourself things like "Is that really possible?" and "How did he manage that?" and "Is it even legal for him to do what he's planning?" and just sit back and let this well-acted, moving tale, well... move you.
Just be warned, this movie belongs in the same genre as most Nicholas Sparks novels and books like "The Bridges of Madison County". In other words, "Seven Pounds" is sensitive, intensely emotional, and ultimately life affirming, but also includes strong doses of sadness, tragedy, and sacrifice. If you sometimes watch movies that require having a big box of tissues handy, this one's for you.
"Seven Pounds" features a sharp, clean, yet nicely warm image on standard DVD, excellent sound, and a generous array of extra features covering all aspects of the production.
A Meditation on Love, Death & Sacrifice
2009-11-06 - In the first minute of this film, we are introduced to Ben Thomas, an alleged IRS agent, living in a seedy motel, calling 911 for his own suicide. Why is this man doing this, and where is he coming from?
If you watch this movie looking for a mystery, or some heavy conflict, you'd probably be disappointed. It's a meditation, more than anything. It looks at the character of Ben Thomas rather dispassionately, in fact.. because he is completely closed off by trauma and guilt. And that's what makes this such a fascinating character study.. after a 2 sentence voiceover, we only see what he does for the next 2 hours, the last 2 weeks of his life. There is alot of color palette work, signifying death (blue, the blue bathroom tile, the water tank) and life (yellow sunlight, Rosario Dawson dressed in yellow and gold) and the balance between the two.. the beach. What this bluray lacks in 3D pop, it definitely makes up for in it's color scheme.
Rosario Dawson's Emily is near impossible to not like, and the camera loves her, but it took me 3 viewings to really appreciate the most important character in this film is Ben's dead wife. The plot is not simply about atoning for a terrible mistake, but for returning to the woman he really loves, with a clean slate. Now, that's NOT a catholic interpretation of the subject matter, but I think there is a difference between suicide (despair) and giving up your life (sacrifice to help others) that this film explores really well.
Smith's Ben is not easy to LIKE, he's so consumed by his project that we only really 'see' him when he breaks character in his affection for Emily, and --- there is a big degree of emotional manipulation in the story, but this still remains a truly haunting work, with some really unconventional imagery, and a great deal of subtext to talk about, and think about.
