Review #34 | "Se7en" (1995)

"Se7en" is exactly what you would expect from the plot outline, yet you still leave the film a little shell-shocked and more than a little grief-stricken. The phenomenal cast composed of Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, and Gwyneth Paltrow is more than enough to lure today's young adults to the move theatres more than 20 years after "Se7en's" initial release. Just because the cast is familiar doesn't mean you will walk away with the warm-fuzzies of adoration. It's just the way of the film...

No time is wasted hooking the viewer into the extraordinary plot. A serial killer is on the loose and he is killing is victims to represent the seven deadly sins. Filmmakers did not shy away from exploring murder as its gruesome self. There is lots of blood, lots of swearing, and lots of ways you know you don't want to die. So why would anyone invest their time into going on this ride? Because it's a thrill to watch, as a reviewer, filmmaker, actor, or regular Joe, there is something for everyone.

Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are two unlikely costars, but they are animatedly lively on-screen surrounded by circumstances of death, destruction, and despair. They play off of each other flawlessly despite their characters being complete opposites. Everything from life choices, to family, to attitude, to morals, to work ethic is different about detectives Somerset and Mills, yet the men who bring them to life do them justice. Kevin Spacey, always thrilling (and charming?), spins a web of deceit and strikes fear into hearts as the killer, John Doe. The only regret the fimmakers may agree with is the plot may have wrapped up well with seeing a little more of Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Tracy Mills.

The filmmaking is beautiful in "Se7en," especially when it comes to the editing. A good editor is rarely seen, except when they want to be. The editing in this film is so clever that it is hard to notice you are being played by the film itself, just as Somerset and Mills are getting played as well. It is hard not to become enthralled in the world of "Se7en," especially when the circumstances extend farther than the characters and you begin investigating with them.

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Rated R. Runs 2 hours 7 minutes.

Directed by David Fincher. Starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Edited by Richard Francis-Bruce.