Rating of
4/4
Se7en review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 08/16/11
A film about solving a gruesome murder using the 7 deadly sins (each victim symbolizes gluttony, greed, pride, sloth, lust, envy, and wrath). The retiring Detective William R. Somerset (Morgan Freeman) teams up with the up and comer cocky cop David Mills (Brad Pitt). Detective Somerset is invited to meet David’s wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow) and eventually informs him of plans of having an abortion. William consoles Tracy by doing the best thing by not informing her husband, and to “soil the child every chance you get” if she decides to keep it. John Doe, the criminal mastermind, eventually surrenders himself at a police station. Great lines from the picture: William Somerset – “Ernest Hemingway once wrote: "The world is a fine place, and worth fighting for." I agree with the second part.” “Apathy is the solution. I mean, it's easier to lose yourself in drugs than it is to cope with life. It's easier to steal what you want than it is to earn it. It's easier to beat a child than it is to raise it. Hell, love costs: it takes effort and work.” John Doe – “Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention.”
Its innovative premise is so engaging from beginning to end that you felt like being part of that dark aura of solving the case. It has one of the best screenplays and conclusions on screen coupled with stirring performances from the two leads. Pitt made the character brash and hotheaded; Freeman made his character methodical and collected. Cinematography of the picture really brought out the filth and depression of the city which was suitable for the feature. It also boasts of a soundtrack/score to match every haunting scene. The impact of this flick is universal with so many themes such as civilizations impediments, society’s frivolities, and importance of life. Only a few movies would have an intellectual antagonist saying “We see a deadly sin on every street corner, in every home, and we tolerate it. We tolerate it because it's common, it's trivial.” Evidently one of the best criminal thrillers made. The platinum DVD prides itself with the alternate endings/deleted scenes/extended takes which can be appreciated. In my view, Se7en is a gritty, unsullied, well directed movie that will be talked or analyzed for a long while. It may not be pretty to look at if you’re into cheerful, idealistic outlooks of existence, but in the words of the man in the massage parlor booth – “But that’s life.”
