Quote:
Originally Posted by Eastern Girl
Does Will Smith get naked?
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He does go shirtless in several scenes - not looking as buffed as he was for I Am Legend but surely, this Seven Pounds being something of a melodrama (meaning it likely appeals to a female audience moreso than a male one), I am certain his exposure is no accident nonetheless.
I gave Seven Pounds a plug in the Slumdog Millionaire thread - they are very similar in the theme that they concern a protagonist trying to rise above and find salvation, but Slumdog masquerades as indie and cutting edge while Seven Pounds is more honest about its contrivances. To me, if you're employing certain manipulative devices to drive your movie and engage your audience, I appreciate it more when you don't try to pretend you're not doing it. I actually feel compelled to rank Seven Pounds a little higher just because of this, even though Slumdog is a more well-made film overall.
Smith is really good in this movie, though. He is subtle and convincing and his character has great conflicting pathos that make it difficult to categorically prenounce him the film's 'good guy' - and this is where Seven Pounds is at its best (the on-screen romance between Smith and Rosario Dawson, and a surprisingly effective turn from Woody Harrelson in a small role are its others). I didn't really see the ending as a twist in any way - just the story coming full circle. And yeah, the weight and delivery of the film's message can be heavy-handed but since it isn't pretending to be anything but a conspicuous human-interest, inspirational Hollywood award wannabe, I can't really hold these shortcomings against it. And, I'm kind of a big pu$$y when it comes to film endings sometimes - this one got to me a little.