Seven Pounds

September 10, 2009 - Will Smith gets jiggy with a jellyfish in this PG-13 drama from 2008. Rosario Dawson also stars; look for Woody Harrelson and Bill Smitrovich in smaller roles.

Smith plays Ben Turner. From the outset, it's clear that he's a man with a plan. As the movie progresses, it becomes clear that the plan is not going to end well for him. You see, Ben is guilt-ridden over a crash that left seven people dead including his new fiancée. His plan to make amends involves giving seven pounds (or more) of his own flesh to help others live.

The glitch in Ben's plan is Emily (Dawson). He's chosen her as someone who's deserving of his help. But, he falls in love with her along the way. The heart of the movie centers on whether that love will keep Ben from carrying out his plan to its inevitable conclusion.

Overall review: *** Even though you know fairly early on how Ben intends for things to end, the movie does a good job of making you care about the main characters. By doing so, it makes you care about characters whose fate is sealed from the start.