Columbia Pictures
2008
With an extremely vague trailer, Seven Pounds intrigues an audience with a series of specific riddles in a chronological puzzle to unravel an extremely interesting mystery. IRS agent, Ben Thomas hides a past of mysterious heartache. As he investigates people’s claims, he goes the extra mile to discover more about their personal circumstances and realizes his obligation to them. But what exactly can a simple tax collector actually do to transform the lives of these individuals?
Finding out this secret is part of what initially attracted me to this film. When watching it, however, I was concerned that whenever the film actually did unveil the twist, it might not actually do the story justice. Surprisingly, I didn’t see it coming and the trailer fortunately didn’t ruin the story for me or give too much away. Even if the ending isn’t that great, it was still nice not to have known the secret beforehand; not that it’s the type of film that needs to be “figured out.†Letting the story unfold with this film and with all films is always more entertaining anyway. All that to say, I was pleasantly surprised to have complete closure at the end of the film. It certainly wasn’t a contemporary ending by any means, but it was the most appropriate and was certainly a complete ending. Much like the ending of Romeo and Juliet is certainly not your average ending, but it undoubtedly does provide complete closure. Speaking of Shakespearian plays, the title Seven Pounds is referring to the terminology used in one of his less popular works The Merchant of Venice, in which a literal use of a pound of flesh was to be taken if a loan could not be paid.
Honestly, the film overall was very much like a Shakespearian plot-line involving certain controversial and/or violent means to an end. Debt and moral obligation also thematically play a big role in this film. Seven Pounds certainly captured one aspect of what true love is - true love is always sacrificial. Through His death and resurrection, Christ has directly taught us this. And just as he has loved us, we are to love one another. Therein lies the debt. This is just the type of subject matter that this film focuses on. I am also reminded of the reputation of tax collectors. Everybody rolls their eyes with disgust at the thought of being audited today. Even in the first century setting of the New Testament, tax collectors are often categorized on the same level as pagans and prostitutes. However, even though this IRS employee may be strangely more generous than most, he still has his flaws. What he does with those flaws is quite remarkable. It is interesting to see just how many people’s lives can be changed by the acts of one individual. This film certainly can inspire one to be more giving of themselves.
The only thing that might hurt this film in the long run is the same thing that’s most enjoyable about it. And once you know the ending, you will probably only be interested in watching it one more time just to pick up on the clues you missed the first time around. And as much as the Fresh Prince continues to generate great work, star power alone won’t carry this picture as his most memorable. Don’t expect a feel-good movie because it’s definitely not. It’s a redemption story shrouded by melancholy actions. I tried not to include any spoilers if you aren’t already aware of the ending. The only thing that actually would have been nice to have known beforehand would be the significance of the title. I found myself counting and contemplating the title after viewing. I guess I need to brush up on my Shakespeare, but then again, who doesn’t?
Average lifespan of a Great Dane is curiously Seven years.
