Seven Pounds

Review in a Hurry: Will Smith faces his demons in this very important movie about very important ideas. Seven Pounds is so obsessed with its importance, in fact, it forgets to entertain.

The Bigger Picture: The secrecy of Pounds' marketing campaign—the trailer reveals next to nothing—is expertly maintained through the first 20 minutes of the actual film. Ben Thomas (Smith) is in contact with a handful of strangers in desperate situations; he wants to help them, but how or why, exactly, we don't know. Flashbacks fill in very little backstory, and Ben himself is cryptic and cautious.

Ben is a haunted man, and Smith tries hard to get this across—so hard, it looks like his head hurts. He's a performer you can see acting, trying very hard to impress. The result of this "technique" is that instead of letting the emotions flow, he forces them out, coming across as full of tics or constipated. Smith finally starts to lighten up in scenes with love interest Emily (a fresh, ebullient Rosario Dawson).

But it's director Gabriele Muccino, who first collaborated with Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness, who really sinks this ship. He subjects a provocative idea and good story to a ponderous, navel-gazing pace, until the whole thing feels like a seemingly endless health class. He never allows the audience a breath of fresh air, instead suffocating us with the utter seriousness of the story. No comic relief, no bursts of spontaneity—everything seems calculated and overthought, muddling the message.

The 180—a Second Opinion: The dialogue, plot and thematic elements interweave seamlessly; a lighter touch and categorical rejection of self-indulgence would have let this fine script blossom.