A preposterous heap of melodramatic hokum, director Gabriele Muccino's Seven Pounds stars Will Smith in yet another messianic role. Ben Thomas (Smith) is a melancholy IRS agent compelled by a tragic incident (revealed halfway through the film) to aid seven desperate, downtrodden people, including leading lady Rosario Dawson as a talented young woman desperately in need of a heart transplant, and Woody Harrelson as a saintly blind musician. To reveal more about what is driving Ben to connect with these seven souls would be to give away the plot, which the film initially works hard to conceal through a fractured timeline and clumsily interpolated flashbacks. The normally likable Smith is positively morose in this film that one showbiz wag accurately dubbed The Pursuit of Sappyness. Although Seven Pounds might appeal to masochistic types who love a good cry every 10 minutes or so, this is an optional purchase, at best. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Gabriele Muccino, the behind-the-scenes featurette “Seven Views on Seven Pounds” (32 min.), production featurettes on “Creating the Perfect Ensemble” (13 min.), “Emily's Passion: The Art of the Printing Press” (9 min.), and “The Box Jellyfish: The World's Deadliest Co-Star” (5 min.), four deleted scenes (5 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray version is a bonus digital copy and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (E. Hulse)
Seven Pounds
Sony, 123 min., PG-13, DVD: $28.98, Blu-ray: $39.95, Mar. 31 Volume 24, Issue 2
Seven Pounds
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