::READERS REVIEWS::

excelent movie

movie 'Seven' - A thriller movie depicting the Seven Deadly Sins. Terrific actors!! An extremely suspenseful movie!

A Consumate Thriller and More - Seven is one of the best cinematic thrillers, especially of the last few decades - almost a blueprint of how one should be. Where nearly all of them fail, becoming clichéd, predictable, and implausible, it succeeds. It continuously defies expectations - in a good way -, subtly making us think it is going one way then going another. This quickly becomes clear, as the opening premise seems distinctly hackneyed - a veteran, retiring detective gets a cocky upstart partner for his last case, which turns out to be by far their most difficult. This has been done so many times that it hurts, but this is something different. What could have easily been unbearably banal turns out to be surprisingly and refreshingly interesting, as the relationship develops with unexpected subtlety.

What really makes Seven stand out from all the films with similar premises, though, is the villain - easily the most disturbing cinematic killer since The Silence of the Lambs. His methods and motives are unusual and deeply frightening - painstakingly methodical and sadistic. Even more interestingly, he is deeply, self-righteously, and thus hypocritically religious and plans his mayhem accordingly.

This brings up one of the film's true strengths - Andrew Kevin Walker's script. One of the freshest screenplays in modern film, it continually surprises without being contrived. Walker's work is really quite tight; those looking for plot holes will have an unusually hard time, and any that can be found are minor. The dialogue is also above average. Having the killer base his murders - nay, his whole existence - on the seven deadly sins is a novel and perversely fascinating concept. More importantly, it leads to many theological elements and aspects of religious history throughout all aspects of the movie. One would be very hard-pressed to find a thriller where such weighty issues are so seamlessly integral to the plot. Those unfamiliar with such elements will learn much, especially as the script fortunately never becomes preachy or overly didactic. Even more impressive are the litany of literary references. Nearly every movie seems to throw in a Shakespeare reference or something to seem intelligent, but this is actually well done. There are about as many allusions as a mainstream film can get away with, and in contrast to nearly every movie that tries to do such a thing even with far less ambition, it never seems forced. The allusions are important to the plot and spice up the dialogue while giving viewers some substantial meat to chew between all the suspense.

This raises an important question - just how good is the script? How serious and how ambitious? That Seven currently ranks #27 on the Internet Movie Database's list of the 250 Best Films of All-Time strongly suggests many see far more than just a thriller. It is certainly true that Seven raises numerous important issues, from theological niceties to practical aspects of crime fighting. It also dramatizes many important themes, including modern crime, urban decay, institutional and individual responsibility toward society, apathy vs. activism, youth vs. age, experience vs. emotion, etc. Some weighty philosophical issues are even brought up and, more to the point, we see much about the often vast gap between theory and practice. Seven vividly dramatizes the ticklish problem of applying hard-won wisdom to the modern world's cold reality. Most noteworthy to me is the acidic religious criticism that nearly everyone, including the film's biggest fans, seems to have missed. Seven is a vicious shot at hypocritical religious self-righteousness and does much to expose Christianity, especially its historical bases, as hollow. If the many who have seen this film - especially the many who seem to think it a masterpiece - realized this, the world might have been slightly bettered. Unfortunately, as all too often in such cases, it has not even been ignored but simply gone unseen.

The regrettable situation has undoubtedly arisen because the movie is essentially a thriller; heavier elements work within this framework rather than the reverse. Many go into it expecting a thriller and see just that - and it is quite good on such terms. However, this can easily make them fail to see the weightier elements. Those alive to them will quickly see that, while they move the film above a mere thriller, the genre's inherent limitations keep it from true greatness. There is a sense, then, in which Seven is overrated. It is certainly not one of the thirty greatest films, and I am unable to imagine how it acquired such a status. This is unfortunate, really, because it is very good on its own terms and more than respectable per se; it would truly be a shame if people were disappointed because they expected a masterwork. If the more substantial elements were actually the core and all thriller conventions were dropped, this could truly be a masterpiece. That it limits itself in this way should not necessarily be held against it; Seven is about as good as a film can be that is not trying for true mastery. This may disappoint those looking for the transcendentally great, but the discerning among those who expect only a thriller may well be pleasantly surprised.

The daringly dark ending is the clearest sign of how Seven refuses to limit itself to thriller conventions entirely. An essentially happy conclusion is one of the main thriller conventions, something most viewers want and expect. No matter how many close scrapes protagonists go through, they are supposed to triumph. Seven crushes this cliché with a highly pessimistic ending that is gut-wrenchingly shocking yet inevitable; it refrains from a cheap twist and is certainly without trite sentimentality. It is sad but unsurprising that New Line wanted to change this. Several alternate endings were proposed, all inferior mainly because they made the players act out of character or otherwise introduced implausibility. The cast and crew fought for the original ending and thankfully won; Seven's status as something more than thriller would be highly compromised without it.

Masterpiece or not, several Seven aspects are clearly excellent. The most obvious is the acting. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman do a thorough job of portraying the detectives and work well together. Some have questioned the former's job, especially toward the end, but their real problem seems to be with the character. One may not like Mills or his behavior, but this is hardly the fault of Pitt, who is more than adequate. Freeman meanwhile performs with his usual excellence, vividly portraying a character with a lot of depth and even somehow managing to make him very likable. He is almost like an African American Sherlock Holmes. However, Kevin Spacey's as the villain is the true highlight. It is doubtful that anyone else could have pulled off such a brilliant portrayal. His John Doe is fully detestable - twisted, vain, hypocritical, and more - yet we can see the great, if perverse, intellect and talent behind the evil. Spacey pushed to have his name kept from the opening credits, and his late appearance is indeed exhilarating. It was all the more notable given his recent, Oscar-winning role as a villain in The Usual Suspects. That was a rightly proclaimed performance, but this is even better - one of the more astonishing depictions in recent memory. As for Gwyneth Paltrow's small role, I have heard that she was not interested in it and had to be convinced to take it. I can see why; she is simply not believable as a fifth grade teacher and worried wife/expectant mother. It is perhaps not her fault exactly; she is who she is and was wrongly cast. One can understand why Pitt would want his then-girlfriend to play his wife, but a better choice could clearly have been made. However, this inadequate performance in a minor role does little to mar what is otherwise an excellently acted picture.

Director David Fincher does a good job in all areas, particularly cinematography. Seven is very atmospheric without resorting to film noir clichés; the ambiance is so strong that much of what would normally need to be explicated in dialogue can remain unsaid. Fincher keeps the suspense riding high, milking the mystery for drama but not letting it go dry. The film seems to have a slow start, but we soon see this is deliberate and right. The various red herrings are also well-done - effective without being cheap. Finally, the music is commendable and does a good job of setting the mood. It is easy to see why this made Fincher's name as a director.

In summary, Seven is at least worth a rental to those who still have not seen it. As for which edition to buy, the single disc version is truly bare bones. Anyone wanting extras should seek out the various expanded editions, but those who just want a permanent copy will be fine with the single disc, as it does not cost much more than a rental. Whichever route one chooses, the film comes quite highly recommended.

Reviews here are overrated - What do you get when you combined a prominent, experienced cast with an unusual story premise? In this case, a dull movie. A very dull movie, and it didn't have to be that way. The dialogue was insipid and unnecessarily vulgar, the pace painfully slow, and fine actors seemed to be going through the motions. The movie had "low budget" written all over it. I watched the film on IFC, standard def, and the color and sound were dreadful, especially the center channel where dialogue was often unintelligible. Someone here reported the latest DVD greatly improves on that. I'll take his word that is true, but it can't make a dull movie interesting.

damn. - the guy that wrote this movie is not right. that being said, this is a gooood movie. the idea of the 'seven' deaths is off the hook. another one to shut off the lights, turn up the sound and watch. have popcorn too. with parmasian cheese. its good.

Morality Play Murder for Thinkers - Of late, movies such as National Treasure, The DaVinci Code, and Angels & Demons intrigue with their clue-solving protagonists, their chases, and visuals. Se7en is a thinker's "chase the clues." Its smart script brings the Seven Deadly Sins to murderous life in a type of Danse Macabre orchestrated by John Doe. The testosterone-driven and intellectually dull Detective David Mills could be said to illustrate Everyman. Despite Detective Lt. William Somerset's brilliance and assiduous research, John Doe "solves" the crime for the detectives with the message: the consequence of sin is death, physical and psychological.

Good Movie, but dvd doesn't play well - I should have responded to the seller; but the dvd doesn't play correctly. It plays to about half way through and then stops.

Excellent Dark Psychological Thriller With A Stellar Cast & Director!!---A 90's Classic Repackaged w/ Plenty Of Extras!! - This was still early in Brad Pitt's career, but as you can see if you
have seen this film, he was more than up for and capable of the task to
stand alongside the likes of Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey and Gwyneth Paltrow
(who he was engaged to at the time), all under the brilliant direction
of David Fincher, who he would work again with many times over his career
and garner some of his best & most acclaimed film roles.
This is a dark, fast, grissly, mind-twisting psychological thriller which was
disturbing to alot of people when it first hit theatres in 1995.
But it was undeniably a modern day classic out of the gate and many
copy-cat films followed in it's wake! I could never say that Brad Pitt was
THE SINGULAR STAR of this film because it's filled with powerhouse performances
from powerhouse actors who created characters and moments in this film that are
now part of film history!
I was lucky enough to buy this 2 disc version for a very reduced
price from a secondary seller who delivered the goods, and it was
factory-sealed and brand new. (-:
Plenty of special features, behind-the-scenes, story boards,
cinematography, and other things which I like to have on films I consider
to be classics or bar-raisers in film-making history.
This films shows great in upgraded enhancement on my Samsung Blu-Ray and
1080p 40" HD TV with Bose Surround Sound DVD Audio System.
I could really hear and feel the dark undertones in the soundtrack,
as well as mids and highs that I'd never heard before.
Also, it doesn't seem as dark as my old VHS version or first DVD versions were.
I don't know if they tweeked that in some way, but I can definitely see a
difference from then to now. Overall a good buy on a great repackaging of
a modern classic thriller! A win/win situation for me! (-:

Great suspense and acting - I had seen this movie before but I recently ordered the two-DVD pkg. It reminds me of Denzel Washington's "The Bone Collector" in terms of the special effects, the unfolding of serial murders and a surprise ending. The second DVD had both a test-shot of the ending and then the story boards for an alternate ending that was never shot---I much prefered the alternate ending that was never shot---it would have been divine justice to have it end this way instead of the ending the director selected. The casting for the movie was fantastic and Morgan Freeman is always great in any role he plays; Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey were wonderful in their roles. If you love a good suspense movie with the police chasing a psychopathic serial killer you will enjoy this film.

Movie is great, price is a deadly sin... - You know the movie, so you already have an opinion. My problem is $28 for it?! I keep touting the advantages of blu-ray to others and how new releases are competitively priced and they go and charge $28 for a movie that's over 10 years old. I could maybe understand it if this were an import, but it's not. What gives New Line?

Great Film, Great Actors - I love horror films as well as crime stories and this is a great combination of the two. What an imagination the person who created the story this movie is based on has. Just imagine a psychopath who decides that he's going to be an example to the world of what needs to be done to clean up our planet by using the Seven Deadly Sins to kill seven people whom he sees as being part of the world's problems. This psychopath has the brain of a genius and leaves clues that baffle the police. This film is chilling and alarming yet intriguing and fascinating. Morgan Freeman is an excellent actor who makes an A-one detective every time he plays the part. In this film, he's way ahead of the other police in figuring out what is going on. You can't go wrong having handsome, sexy Brad Pitt in on the action as well. What a hunk. Lucky Angelina! This movie isn't as gory and blood-letting as some yet it does have its share of bloody, disgusting scenes. Even so, it's a great movie and one of my favorites. It's just a mind-blower from beginning to end and what an exceptional, mind-blowing ending!

Great service!!! - I bought this movie few years ago! (sorry for late review) this movie came very faast..didnt care for the movie, didnt care for the plot but thats not your fault! my fault for buying a boring movie haha i was suprised it wasnt that great of a movie because morgan freeman is in it and hes one of the best actors ever! movie shipped fast and came in perfect condition

Seven - I thought Morgan Freeman(Ironically a Cheater himself years later in real Life) and Brad Pitt(on a roll) did their part good,the story is unique but overall I found the movie disturbing and over the top when it came to the mayhem, on top of that you have Kevin Spacey(someone I detest and always plays the bad guy so it is fitting). My problem doesn't lay with the story but the way it carries itself in total disgust.