“Seven Pounds” Review

Seven Names. Seven Strangers. One Secret.

Will Smith soars in this admittedly manipulative film that sometimes strains the limits of believability — and it is that performance that elevates “Seven Pounds” beyond its rightful position.

Smith has always been a fabulous movie star without yet becoming a great actor.  This is the first time his emotions have carried a film… and he manages to navigate that road with nuance and command.  It is his best work to date.

He plays a man who has clearly dealt with tragedy in his life.  Wrecked with, and motivated by guilt, he sets about affecting the lives of other people.  His intentions may, at first, be unclear.  However, to the experienced viewer, those intentions will become clear long before the “secret” is revealed on screen.

The film becomes a tad heavy handed and, in other hands, could have dwindled into overt melodrama.  Instead, Will Smith crafts a fully realized character, broken and empty — a character we can care about and empathize with.

I don’t want to deal too much with plot points so as to avoid spoiling what twists there are.  Yet, rest assured that this is a tear-inducing story with heavy moral questions and emotionally impactful performances.  It is well worth seeking out.