Seven Pounds

This is the first time I have ever posted. I saw this movie and it made me want to post. IT seems Seven Pounds is getting a lot of negative press and I felt like I need to do my part to let some people know that this movie is SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL! For me, this was a rare movie that stays with you. I found everything about this movie beautiful..the acting, the music, the directing and especially the beautiful story. A story of giving..sacrifice with purpose. I am not the biggest Will Smith fan, but I must say that his performance for me was ASTOUNDING. I felt his pain and was moved by what his character was doing. This is not a easy story to tell in 2hrs and I think they did a really fantastic job. This movie will not be for everyone...it moves slowly and may be confusing..until you figure it out...then the reality of his purpose will crush you emotionally and at the same time it is so beautiful....SWEET PAIN (it did for me anyway)....Seven Pounds is a wonderful movie that will stay with you long into the night and next day.....Thanks

The IRS tax collector Ben Thomas (Will Smith) seeks out Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson) and resolves her situation with the IRS. Emily has a serious heart problem and is waiting for a donor, but her blood is very rare and her odds are low. Meanwhile Ben seeks out other people to help them in a journey for redemption for what he did in the past. However Emily and Ben unexpectedly fall in love with each other, but Ben does not have the intention of changing his plans.

"Seven Pounds" is a predictable drama with a fragmented non-chronological screenplay about a man seeking redemption for what he did in the past that has shattered his world. The story is simple but the screenplay hides the secret about Ben until the very end. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sete Vidas" ("Seven Lives")

You spend most of this two-hour film wondering "what's the story regarding the lead character?"

Will Smith, as a low-key "Ben Thomas" will keep you guessing. The last 20-25 minutes is when you find out, and it's a shocker....but you knew something dramatic was going to be revealed. Until then, Smith, plays it mysterious, almost stalking people. You know he has a good reason for doing it, but it's never really explained, once again, to keep us guessing until the end.

All of it, including a on again/off again but touching romance with Rosario Dawkins ("Emily Posa") might make some viewers frustrated or wanting to quit this film.....but don't because the final long segment puts all the pieces of this puzzle together.

This is a two-hour film and not the typical action-packed macho Will Smith film. In fact, the most shocking aspect might be seeing the drawn, sad face of Smith throughout this story. It almost doesn't even look like him in a number of shots. He looks like he's lost weight and is sick. Smith does a great job portraying a man carrying around a lot of sadness.

Like a good movie will often do, this film will leave you thinking long after the ending credits.

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.

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 .