After an amazing wedding filled weekend of fun, I was glad to be able to chill tonight and sit down to watch Seven Pounds which I'd been putting off until I could fully experience it in Blu Ray. Will Smith is clearly the main draw of this movie from a marketing standpoint and I actually liked the secrecy around the ending of this movie which I didn't think was that suprising at all but worth the emotion I invested in the story. What's interesting though is that this is another one of those that for all the criticism out there, I disagree and actually liked this movie more than I thought I would. What stood out for me was the complete investment that all the actors give to their character's looks and feelings to the point where they are not glamorized or overly dramatized to the point where you can realize they're not just going through the motions but really expose themselves to eachother. I found that by not giving away the plot, which is pretty obvious halfway through, it really made me think about all the ways it could go without losing interest in the love story and uncovering of the truth in this flashback that changed his life.
The overall theme of doing good for others and making your life mean something after you'd had a life changing experience is interesting and I think Will Smith plays this nice guy so well from his usual arrogant, loud mouthed Bad Boy type. Even by having the instrument of his death as a pet jellyfish was cool because it's in front of you for most of the movie even if you don't realize it and therefore is almost a symbol of this beauty in death. Getting little hints at donor papers and interactions with the people who will carry out his wishes helped pave the way for the huge payoff and sacrifice that Will's character knows he will do from the beginning. I thought that this idea of seeing the good in people was essential for this movie to work so that you know why he's so worried about making the right decisions. Overall, this movie has superb acting by everyone involved and really digs deep within Will Smith's acting ability to show how far someone will go to sacrifice himself for the benefit of others who deserve it. I like the subtle choices Seven Pounds makes to not try and hammer this idea home but for you to really appreciate the power of love that surrounds life and death but in a hopeful way. Much better than people are saying.
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