rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States; 1995
Directed by David Fincher; produced by Arnold Kopelson, Phyllis Carlyle; written by Andrew Kevin Walker
Starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, R. Lee Ermey, John C. McGinley
Once again the serial killer is the most memorable character in a thriller. Like Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter in 'The Silence of the Lambs' this character (I will not reveal the actor) enters the screen and things get creepy. It is the perfect killer for a dark stylish thriller, playing in a city where it always seems to rain. Not since the already mentioned 'The Silence of the Lambs' has a film been this full of suspense.
The killer uses the seven deadly sins as excuses to kill people. His "masterpiece" is one perfect kill for one sin. Two detectiver are on the case. One is Somerset (Morgan Freeman), close to retiring. He knows his way around but admits to the other, Mills (Brad Pitt), he has never seen anything like this. Mills just arrived and is not yet used to the city and the life it brings. Even less so is his wife, Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow), who tells only Somerset she is pregnant.
At first Somerset and Mills are not the best pals one might imagine. Slowly, in part because of Tracy, they learn to appreciate each other. This aspect of the film elevates it to something better than the average film. The characters feel as real as can be, even the killer, as soon as he introduces himself. Near the end there is a conversation between him, Mills and Somerset. The writing here is so intelligent and true, dialogue itself becomes suspenseful.
'Seven' is the kind of film not easily forgotten. It contains many haunting images, especially around the killings, although the most terrifying moment deals with a living person. Director David Fincher already showed these images in 'Alien 3', a lesser film, but with some memorable moments. He continued to do so in other satisfying thrillers, and created some kind of visual masterpiece with 'Fight Club'. With 'Seven' he established his name and became one of the more promising directors emerging in the 1990s.