seven pounds summary

The primary goal of Seven Pounds is to make viewers weep, and it pursues that aim with a doggedness that is almost commendable. The film manipulates shamelessly and, despite defying logic with its contrivances and unconvincing character portrayals, will succeed in getting many audience members to the point where tears are inevitable. Yet there's no cinematic equation that relates the need for tissues to motion picture quality. Seven Pounds works better the more the viewer feels and the less he/she thinks. On an emotional level, one could decree that the movie is satisfying. On an intellectual level, it's disappointingly shallow. The story is told in a non-linear and seemingly haphazard manner that confounds and confuses as a means to hide a "twist" until late in the proceedings. Unfortunately, despite their zeal to obscure the main character's central motive, the filmmakers miss the mark - one doesn't have to be Sherlock Holmes to divine the film's ultimate trajectory within its first 30 minutes (especially since the movie opens with one of the final scenes). Since this isn't a thriller, recognizing the destination is less of a detraction than a minor distraction. The bigger problem is trying to put oneself into the mindset of the lead character, who is acting largely because that's the way he has been written. Yes, guilt is a powerful motivator and the quest for redemption can be obsessive, but it would be helpful if the protagonist could pursue these objectives in a manner that's consistent with believable human behavior patterns. Ben Thomas (Will Smith) is an IRS agent. We know from his flashbacks that, at one time, he was (literally) a rocket scientist. He lives alone but, from those same flashbacks, we know he was once involved in a committed relationship. Ben has a list of seven people he is apparently auditing. He visits one, Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), while she's in the hospital being treated for congestive heart failure. She's on a