REVIEW DATE:3:6:9:9

I think I'll start of this review with a quote from the late, great, Joey Lawrence: "Whoa". That was my reaction at the end of this movie. Seven is dark, and gritty, and violent. This is one of those movies that would scare the crap out of my parents. As a matter of fact, it did. As another matter for fact my mother put this on a little mental rolodex she has of movies that I shouldn't watch. I keep trying to tell her its a moot point since I don't live with her any more ("Norman!"), but nothing doing. What's that mother? Mother that sailor suit doesn't fit anymore!?

Beginning in a dark and rainy city (I think it's LA, but your guess is as good as mine) Seven basically is two hours of movie submerged in rain and darkness. Unlike most critics, though, I think that's a good thing. Creates mood and stuff. Makes the whole picture just that scarier.

In the opening shots we see Morgan Freeman going through his daily movements of putting on his tie, his gun, his badge, and his switch blade. Freeman plays a homicide cop, one of those broken down, dried up, "I'm getting to old for this shit", Danny Glover from Lethal Weapon kind of cops. Just when he's 6 days from retirement he gets a new partner in the form of Brad Pitt. Pitt is one of those young, enthusiastic, happily married, "I'm gonna get this sick mother fucker" kind of cops. Needless to say, the two opposites do butt heads.

But there's not much time for head butting in Seven since the plot kicks in almost at once. A murderous madman is lose in The City. This ain't no ordinary madman, though. This sick puppy murders people as a way to illustrate one of the seven deadly sins. A fat man is tied to a chair and feed to death. A lawyer bleeds to death. A whore is. . .well, lets not mention that, okay?

And here we have the first thing about this movie: it has balls. It doesn't care if it's going to offend you with explicit violence or blood shed, it just goes ahead and shows you the blood shed. Though, this movie isn't as bad as its reputation, you never actually see any of the murders, just there aftermath. But, 9 times out of 10, that's enough for little old me. And, since you probably have to actually sleep once in a while, it might be to much for you, even if you don't see the murders.

What's best about this movie, thought, is the script. Written by Andrew Kevin Walker (who also wrote that new 8MM thing now playing at a theater near you), the whole script is as tight as a cork in a 300 year old bottle of wine and is truly original. I've never seen anything like this movie, ever. Especially good is the inclusion of Gwyneth Paltrow as Pitt's wife. By showing the contrast between his loving family life and the disgusting murders the script gets us to really care about the character.

The down side to all this death is two fold, however. First, none of the characters is truly three dimensional.Why is Pitt's character (Detc. Mills) so driven to "get this sick mother fucker"? Why is Freeman's character so apathetic? Why does the killer kill? None of these questions are really answered (the script does try to answer number 2, but someone gets killed, so that's the end of that). Second, by using so much shadow play director David Fincher obscures most of the gory details. I mean, isn't showing us this stuff the point of the whole movie?  

Fortunately the movie is saved by having great actors. Pitt, though a bit to foul mouth to bring home to moma, still shapes his character well. Morgan Freeman acts like a tired, burnt out, less commidic version of  Danny Glover from Lethal Weapon (hey, you find a character like him in a movie). Gwyneth Paltrow, despite being a bit underwritten (make that a lot underwritten), actually serves the script instead of just being tacked on for show (see Above the Law).

Is this movie for everyone? Is this one of those movies you should run out and rent as fast as you can? Hell no! This movie is bloody, violent, and as ugly as a redneck from Georgia. Unless your stomach is damn strong you should stay as far away from this movie and sleep a happy little sleep.

But, if you think you've got the guts, then knock yourself out. Just don't come crying to me, okay?

RATING (OUT OF A POSSIBLE FIVE)

IF YOU DON'T KNOCK YOURSELF OUT, THIS MOVIE WILL.

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