The_Matrix_Rocks
Joined Aug 2007
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Reviews37
The_Matrix_Rocks's rating
Poor Will Smith suffers from a tragic Hollywood handicap. Like Robin Williams and Jim Carrey, his off-screen persona overshadows his craftsmanship when it comes to acting. This means that he has to work extra hard to achieve an authentic transformation into a character different from his persona.
This affliction tends to predominate among comedians, and maybe that's the reason Jack Nicholson has been able to overcome this potentially debilitating condition. Or maybe he's just a brilliant actor.
But "Seven Pounds" fails as a movie because it doesn't manage to counterbalance the powerful force that is "Big Willy Style", confirming once again that Smith is most clearly in his element in comedy or action settings.
His valiant attempts at more dramatic roles are definitely workmanlike, and I can't help feel that eventually the right director will give him a context which amplifies his efforts. Sadly though, that doesn't happen here.
"Seven Pounds'' director, Gabriele Muccino previously helmed a superior attempt by Smith to transcend himself in "Pursuit of Happiness". He took on a more difficult challenge here when he decided to play the story as a suspense thriller, instead of a straight drama. It requires significant skill to arrange the various devices subtly enough to keep the viewer intrigued without losing them before the climax. Shyamalan's "Sixth Sense" and any of Hitchhock's famous works are fine examples of achievement in this respect.
It's hard to summarise the plot without giving it away, so let's just say that Smith portrays a man who tries, in a unique way, to wrestle down the demons scared up in the aftermath of a terrible personal tragedy.
The narrative is non-linear enough to indeed build some mystery. It provides sufficient clues along the way to keep the audience guessing and on your way home you'll have the added bonus of finally being able to work out what the enigmatic title refers to.
But if you're not a die-hard Will Smith fan, willing to forgive most any trespasses by the great man, some of the dramatic interludes and intense staring will start to wear thin long before the end credits are rolling.
This affliction tends to predominate among comedians, and maybe that's the reason Jack Nicholson has been able to overcome this potentially debilitating condition. Or maybe he's just a brilliant actor.
But "Seven Pounds" fails as a movie because it doesn't manage to counterbalance the powerful force that is "Big Willy Style", confirming once again that Smith is most clearly in his element in comedy or action settings.
His valiant attempts at more dramatic roles are definitely workmanlike, and I can't help feel that eventually the right director will give him a context which amplifies his efforts. Sadly though, that doesn't happen here.
"Seven Pounds'' director, Gabriele Muccino previously helmed a superior attempt by Smith to transcend himself in "Pursuit of Happiness". He took on a more difficult challenge here when he decided to play the story as a suspense thriller, instead of a straight drama. It requires significant skill to arrange the various devices subtly enough to keep the viewer intrigued without losing them before the climax. Shyamalan's "Sixth Sense" and any of Hitchhock's famous works are fine examples of achievement in this respect.
It's hard to summarise the plot without giving it away, so let's just say that Smith portrays a man who tries, in a unique way, to wrestle down the demons scared up in the aftermath of a terrible personal tragedy.
The narrative is non-linear enough to indeed build some mystery. It provides sufficient clues along the way to keep the audience guessing and on your way home you'll have the added bonus of finally being able to work out what the enigmatic title refers to.
But if you're not a die-hard Will Smith fan, willing to forgive most any trespasses by the great man, some of the dramatic interludes and intense staring will start to wear thin long before the end credits are rolling.
African American family values movies have matured into a distinct and popular genre and, Martin Lawrence traverses familiar territory with this awkwardly-titled movie.
He plays RJ Stevens, a big city motivational guru who has taken the concept of "self-help" too far, leaving him somewhat estranged from his family in the Deep South.
In an inelegant plot device, his parents' 50th anniversary serves as an exploitable marketing opportunity sufficiently enticing to lure him back to his hometown.
From there, things unfold fairly formulaicly to RJ's rekindling of his true identity, Roscoe Steven Jenkins.
Although Lawrence is the lead around whom the story revolves, it does feel slightly like an ensemble piece. But fortunately the cast is competent and believable, even those fulfilling comic relief roles.
So as an illustration of good ol' hometown values like "always be true to yourself", "the importance of family", and the "power of forgiveness", it's a good choice for family night viewing, if you can find a way around Mo'Nique's apparent inability to avoid the B-word.
He plays RJ Stevens, a big city motivational guru who has taken the concept of "self-help" too far, leaving him somewhat estranged from his family in the Deep South.
In an inelegant plot device, his parents' 50th anniversary serves as an exploitable marketing opportunity sufficiently enticing to lure him back to his hometown.
From there, things unfold fairly formulaicly to RJ's rekindling of his true identity, Roscoe Steven Jenkins.
Although Lawrence is the lead around whom the story revolves, it does feel slightly like an ensemble piece. But fortunately the cast is competent and believable, even those fulfilling comic relief roles.
So as an illustration of good ol' hometown values like "always be true to yourself", "the importance of family", and the "power of forgiveness", it's a good choice for family night viewing, if you can find a way around Mo'Nique's apparent inability to avoid the B-word.
So, it turns out "blaxploitation" films are still alive and well, and these days cast Ice Cube, Katt Williams and Tracy Morgan in the leading roles.
This offensive film parades just about every stereotype about African Americans that you can get away with while still maintaining a PG-13 rating. That translates into a ghetto setting curiously devoid of drug dealers and crack whores. There is one character who dresses like a pimp, but I'm convinced that was because of a mix-up in wardrobe, rather than a deliberate attempt at authenticity.
What is inexcusably absent though is a discernible plot. The screenplay seems to be a weak attempt to re-purpose the flimsy dramatic premise that powers "Die Hard", but relocating it in a church and mashing some Agatha Christie mystery elements for good measure.
What emerges then, in place of a plot, is a severely frayed thread, ambitiously intended to link together a series of set pieces where the various performers deliver signature material - kind of like what you'd find at a school concert, only less coherent.
"First Sunday" does have some funny moments and to be fair, the family did chuckle about the movie for a couple of days after watching it. So think of this movie as a set of toppings in search of a (first) sundae.
This offensive film parades just about every stereotype about African Americans that you can get away with while still maintaining a PG-13 rating. That translates into a ghetto setting curiously devoid of drug dealers and crack whores. There is one character who dresses like a pimp, but I'm convinced that was because of a mix-up in wardrobe, rather than a deliberate attempt at authenticity.
What is inexcusably absent though is a discernible plot. The screenplay seems to be a weak attempt to re-purpose the flimsy dramatic premise that powers "Die Hard", but relocating it in a church and mashing some Agatha Christie mystery elements for good measure.
What emerges then, in place of a plot, is a severely frayed thread, ambitiously intended to link together a series of set pieces where the various performers deliver signature material - kind of like what you'd find at a school concert, only less coherent.
"First Sunday" does have some funny moments and to be fair, the family did chuckle about the movie for a couple of days after watching it. So think of this movie as a set of toppings in search of a (first) sundae.