Seven shook up Hollywood nearly as much as it shocked some of the audience. Here, for the first time in ages, was a dark film (I generally hate the cliché term “dark” but it fits in well here) that did very well in the Box Office.
Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey. Wow. What a superb combination.
People say not to judge a book by its cover and I like to remind people not to judge a film by its cast but in this case you would have been right. Brad Pitt was top notch… he was, for ages, that annoying chick flick chap but with Seven, 12 Monkeys and increasingly more films he has proven me wrong.
What’s seven all about?
Easy. Seven is a reference to the Seven Deadly sins. Trust me, in this movie these sins are very deadly and often grossly so. A murderer - for whatever obscure reason (watch the film to find out) - has set about killing people to the theme of the seven deadly sins. Pitt and Freeman are sent to investigate and whereas I wouldn’t describe them as being “hot on the trail” they certainly make progress. At one point the killer seems to fixate on them.
It is not just the gory deaths and the wash of blood that makes this movie disturbing. There are plot twists that are entirely unexpected - even more so considering Hollywood was all bright and cheerful at the time. So, yet again in a movie review, I am going to refuse to give away very much more of the plot. I would rather offer up a weaker review than spoil this very good movie for you.
There’s more to say, though. I could wax lyrical about the acting in 7even. I’ve already talked about Pitt’s performance but I want to go back to the quality of each and every actor - down to the extras - because to do anything else would be a crime, a sin. Freeman, as ever, is superb. Kevin Spacey was able to really push his talent into even greater limelight as a result of the movie’s success and, for that alone, 7even should be worshipped.
The frames in 7even are just great. You don’t have to be something of a cinematic buff (I’m no expert, I just now what I like) to appreciate it. The sets are dark and brooding. There is often rain. The murder scenes have the camera slowly pan around from detail to detail and I, for one, had my heart in my mouth for every minute of it. Even at the end of the film where the action has gone out to some dusty outback and there isn’t very much to see at all, the camera sweeps right back (from a crane, I would imagine) to let you look down from above. The dusty hell was a little too subtle for most and certainly everyone was too caught up in the action to let that penny drop. I only noticed on my second watch.
Not for the squeamish, certainly for everyone else.
I promise you that you’ll not have nightmares.