4/04/2009

Seven Pounds (2008)

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Exacting a Pound of Flesh x7

A former aeronautical engineer posing as IRS agent Ben Thomas, is in profound pain. Wracked with guilt over the tragic deaths of seven people -- six strangers and his fiancée (Robinne Lee) -- because of his inattentiveness while driving, the man (Will Smith) makes a plan for his own future and for the future of seven other people in the LA area.

The first step of his plan is to save the life of his brother (Michael Ealy) by donating a lobe of his own lung. Later he donates a part of his liver to a social worker (Judyann Elder) he hadn't previously known. Through the social worker, he makes contact with a violently abused woman (Elpidia Carrillo) and her two children and helps them escape the brutality of her husband.

As he hears of other strangers in need, he helps them, too: A kindly youth league hockey coach (Bill Smitrovich) receives one of the faux Ben's kidney's and he donates bone marrow to a dying child (Quintin Kelley).

In the process, the faux Ben meets and falls in love with Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), a young woman with a deteriorating heart condition and he tests a blind man (Woody Harrelson) to determine if he is a decent person worthy of a donation, too.

Also appearing are Barry Pepper as the man's best friend; Joe Nunez as the owner of the seedy motel where the man is residing, and Connor Cruise (son of Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise) playing the man as a boy.

A touching and bittersweet story about redemption and transformation.

Directed by Gabriele Muccino.

Run time: 2 hours, 3 minutes

Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some disturbing content and a scene of sensuality.

My personal rating: B

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