I understand that for about a week, it seemed I was finally getting back into the swing of writing regular posts again - I was so excited at this prospect myself (dunno about you guys) that I made a ridiculously long list of films I really need to have seen and do a review on that I ended up putting myself off. Plus I've become mad addicted to Jersey Shore, I know, bringing shame to myself and my fans. Two weeks pass and I find myself able to sleep again - the only downside (there is always a fucking downside) is I'm having vivid, life critique dreams and I guess the natural progression of this was nightmares. Only difference is, I was woken up by this extremely loud bang from a scene in my dream where I was running down a dark haunted corridor from a woman with no face. Waking to find my fan and my condom jar on the floor. I woke up in bed so I have no clue how they ended up on the floor, but it gave me the willies anyway. And since I was wide awake at 5am, I thought I'd dive into that long film list of mine.
Se7en is one of those 'old' movies that it seems everyone has seen and enjoyed and yet I've never watched or really know anything about. And one of the worst things about coming into this film, over 15 years after its initial release is that for the last decade we've been force fed shock cinema. So the disgusting imagery, the shocking 'twist' ending and everything gritty in between comes across weak and timid which is a shame, because I really wanted to like this film, just for the excellent tension and the way Kevin Spacey comes in right at the end and steals the whole fucking show.
Se7en is about two cops, Mills (Pitt), the city boy taken out of his natural habits and not handling this new lifestyle cop cliche and Somerset (Freeman), the cop who wants to retire but is addicted to the rush of being a cop cliche finding themselves on a particularly twisted case based around the seven deadly sins. There are a lot of subplots and some larger ideas thrown around. But none of them matter more than simple plot devices.
And really, that is my main problem with trying to review this. If I had watched this 15 years ago before all the Saw and Hostel movies and lookalikes I'd probably have come out the other side like, 'No way man that was fucking sick! Shit that was so fucking crazy!!' Instead I find myself sitting through an hour of cliches, then I find myself at a fantastic but slightly pointless chase sequence which really establishes the humanity and fragility of our main characters (although Mill's unprofessionalism balanced with Somerset's almost omnipresence like attitude just becomes a pain by the end) and from there, the film does admittedly does rather pick up. We get some of the more imaginative murders in the film and then Kevin Spacey's appearance and an ending you should see coming but is no less a fantastic wrap up.
Admittedly towards the end I was wondering if the film was going to go fucking crazy and there'd actually be a higher power or aliens getting involved just because I can't understand why this this is so popular. I've just sat through and hour and 45 minutes of cliches. Most of which were cliches long before this film was made. So the ending must be fucking awesome! Right? I mean it isn't just popular in film student crowds, but everywhere. If I can see how tame this seems in comparison to recent entries in the shock cinema why can't Mr, 'BLACK AND WHITE? FUCK IT. READING? I DON'T WATCH A MOVIE TO READ!'? - I mean maybe I missed the point?
The mise-en-scene had this beautiful topical griminess to it and I loved Kevin Spacey, even if he was typecast but aside from that, looking past how tame it seemed, the plot was just plan preposterous and didn't seem to have any direction or aim jumping between quiet political comments and massive existential questions. Brad Pitt apparently thought he was in a pantomime with the way he was acting throughout and I honestly think Freeman was on drugs because he spends the whole film with this little drawn smile like he isn't entirely sure where he is. Really guys, tell me, what am I missing here? Do you all love it because it has that guy who played Dr Cox basically playing Dr Cox but with more swearing in a swat uniform? Oh you!
Right, since this is a short review I'm going to use the rating system.
Visuals.
4/5
I give nothing a perfect rating. But this film is beautiful to look at in an ironic way. And is one of its only redeeming features. Beautiful use of rain effects. A consistent urban grime mise-en-scene theme to perfectly gel with the overarching narrative themes, although a tad cliche I suppose. The murders are in their own fucked up way, beautiful, although 15 years on - done to death by so many films after it and by many films before it, to be fair.
Level of Awesome.
2/5
Skip to the middle of the film and watch the chase sequence, this is about the only moment the film peaks. The rest of the film is pretty flat.
Soundtrack.
3/5
Ironically I hardly remember anything about it and it isn’t there to be noticed, so I guess it was doing its job. Opening a film on Closer by NIN deserves some cool points, though.
Relatability.
1/5
If you relate to anything in this film, you need help.
Chance you’ll watch it again?
0/5
No chance in hell. The only time you rewatch a whodunnit is if you enjoyed the journey to the truth and I didn’t. So sorry, in the bin you go.
Think About It!
-Locke.
7 comments:
Hmmmm.... I seem to have enjoyed Se7en a lot more than you did ;) Tis true though; it is a fairly cliché-riddled piece.
I would have probably enjoyed it more if it wasn't so heavily built up by everyone I know. Or if it wasn't so downright stupid and badly acted. Plus the pacing is all wrong and just urgh, when I try and think about why I didn't like this movie I just open a can of worms.
Never seen the film, despite it all having been done before it sounds alright and I might have to give it a watch.
However, I couldn't help but notice this is a film where Morgan Freeman doesn't play god? That sir, is enough to tear apart reality as we know it. Brad Pitt's over-acting comes as no surprise to me.
After my review you think it sounds alright? And wow, someone else who hasn't watched the film? Freeman spends most of the movie grinning to himself like 'haha, I've read the script, I know what is going to happen!' - so he sorta plays a God here as well. But yeah, Pitt is a bit of a shit actor now that I Think About It... (OOOO NAME DROP)
Did anyone else grab for their crotch when they saw what that guy did with the bladed dildo?
I thought it was an alright movie (mind-fucking though) to watch, but yeah id only watch it again if it was late and there was nothing to do or watch.
SerbD
I feel as if in this review, you're reviewing Seven as if it's an Action Movie.
Firstly the cliches. I think it works for a film like this, because you can recycle generic character emotions and mannerisms, backgrounds and desires. But this is a Blockbuster movie, no matter how clever or intricate to detail the character, it'll always be some form of cliche.
Jumping back to my first point, there are a lot of philosophical, religious and psychological conundrums that you've perhaps, failed to see or pointedly ignored in your (well justified) rage for lack of shock.
It's actually quite clever in it's use of The Divine Comedy ala Dante's Inferno. It's a psycho-twist on an old tale(I don't read the Divine comedy as a poem as much as I do a story)
It has an almost perverse set of religious fundamentals, it doesn't stray far from concepts of humanity, perhaps just enough for you to take an interest in these subjects outside of the film.
For me Seven is a negative to Boondock Saints, both of them being highly cliched, mass-selling hits, but providing enough interest/explosions to suck the money out of the general public.
I personally am a strong supporter of cliches and generics, but the thing is, as a template it means some directors can do it well...and others well, can't. I just didn't feel the cliches used here were done well.
Yeah upon rereading this review, it's pretty shitty :/ Why'd I leave out so much key information?
And Boondock Saints is one of my favourite films ever, weirdly enough.
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