Seven Pounds

Seven Pounds

At just past the one hour mark in Seven Pounds the Rosario Dawson character tells Will Smith's 'I don't really know anything about you.' Funnily enough halfway through the film, neither did I.

Seven Pounds is possibly one of the most unnecessarily confusing and disappointing films I have watched in a long time. It tells thestory of Tim Thomas (Smith) who has seemingly quit his job as an aeronautical engineer to help out seven people. Why? Well, though it is hinted at earlier in the film, this vital piece of knowledge isn't revealed until the end. However, unlike most films that might use this revelation as a way to bring some clarity  to the film, this one does not. I understand structurally why they did it, as we see Thomas help out various people, rescue a woman from an abusive relationship, donate bone marrow, one of his kidneys. But without revealing why he is doing this means that by the end it doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

The main body of the film is him developing a relationship with Emily Posa (Dawson) who has a heart condition and is in desperate need of a heart transplant. Their relationship becomes romantic as he helps her out in however he can. This of course calls for the ultimate sacrifice, which is a scene that is so beautiful and yet so baffling that you will leave the film just questioning everything. However, unlike some films where you first impulse is to go back and watch it again or watch it with the commentary to get clarification. No, my first instinct was to decry the wasting of two hours of my time for a film that ultimately means nothing… it didn't have to be that way.

Performances of the main characters are all fairly competent, but the chemistry between Smith and Dawson is a little bland. What is a shame is that the film does not capitalise on the wonderful performance by Woody Harrelson as Ezra Turner, a blind man, who Thomas meets early in the film and then only appears again in two other scenes. It was such a waste of what was a very affecting and effective performance.

The film is packed with special features, including a rather bland commentary by Director Gabriele Muccino, four featurettes, four deleted scenes and a number of trailers. None of which are particularly interesting, though the odd documentary concerning box jellyfish and their habits seems so out of place and yet was enjoyable to watch.

Seven Pounds isn't a bad film, it's just not a very good one either. It's one of those films that will never be remembered, it will never be in anyone's Top Ten or be a film that people will be watching in five or ten years time. Sadly, it's just a film that exists and no amount of sacrifice is going to save that.