Seven - movie review

Seven, David Fincher's 1995 film, is one of the best serial killer films ever made. I first watched it on television a couple of years after its release, and although I was impressed by the famous and memorable final scene, it didn't make quite as much of an impact on me as it should have done. Probably I was distracted by other things - a reminder that reviews are not just about the subject of the review, but the mood of the reviewer at the time. Anyway, I've watched it again, more carefully, and thought it superb, even though I knew how it would end.

For those who haven't seen it, the story brings together, in a grim and un-named city, a young, aggressive cop and a wise partner who is on the point of retirement and escape from the city. This duo is played by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. Their performances are excellent and they work so well together. Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey are two more superstars in the cast. There's also an appearance from Richard Roundtree.

The theme of the murders, is "the seven deadly sins". One thing I like about the superb screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker is that it doesn't offer a trite whodunit, but rather raises questions about what it is that makes us human and sane, and the nature of evil. The skill of the actors and of Fincher bring out these qualities more effectively than almost any other serial killer film I've seen. The only downside is that the success of Seven has led to countless attempts to borrow from it, and the films that have resulted have often been indifferent, and gruesome for the sake of it. Seven is gruesome, admittedly, and the final scene apparently caused the studio much angst. But the film would certainly have been poorer without it.

I've never written a serial killer novel, partly because I think so many stories of this kind seem derivative and lacking freshness. I'd only want to go down that road if I could come up with something that felt fresh in some way. In the meantime, whilst I give many serial killer film a miss, I'm really glad I had another look at Seven.

Moon: review

Moon is an interesting science-fiction thriller from last year, directed by Duncan Jones – who turns out to be Zowie Bowie, son of the legendary David (who wrote that great song ‘Life on Mars’, of course.) The film stars Sam Rockwell as Sam Bell, while the marvellous Kevin Spacey voices ‘Gerty’, Sam’s robotic computer sidekick.

Sam works for Lunar Industries, a company apparently doing good work for the climate, and is engaged on a three-year contract to work in splendid isolation (apart from Gerty) on the moon, mining helium. He receives occasional video messages from his wife Tess, who was pregnant when he left home and has now given birth to a daughter.

Unfortunately, it soon becomes apparent that all is not as it seems, and that the company is (perhaps rather predictably) not the upright organisation that it is supposed to be. Sam starts to hallucinate, and before long he comes across an injured astronaut who turns out to be – himself. But which of them is the clone?

This is a pretty good sci-fi movie, although the set is rather claustrophobic, and the action relatively limited, features which prevent it reaching the highest level and tend to reduce the tension. But it deals interestingly with the idea of what it takes to be human, there is genuine pathos in the later stages, and Gerty comes good in the end. Even if you are not a mad keen sci-fi enthusiast, I think you’ll find this film worth a look.

Consenting Adults

Alan J. Pakula was a fine film director. His credits include All the President’s Men, which I watched when it first came out and much enjoyed. An early success was To Kill a Mockingbird, subject of a recent post here, and this prompted me to watch a film he made many years later, and not long before his death in a freak car accident, the 1992 movie Consenting Adults.

The film has a good cast, led by Kevin Spacey and Kevin Kline, and deals with two suburban neighbours who are both married to extremely glamorous women. Their male bonding leads Spacey to suggest a bit of wife-swopping. At first Kline is horrified by the proposed betrayal But he begins to warm to the idea, encouraged - it seems – by his own wife, and Spacey’s.. Soon, however, it becomes apparent that things are not what they seem, and murder ensues.

I’m afraid this was a film when the plot, although appealing in some ways, was woefully lacking in credibility. When Kline is set up for a murder he didn’t commit, why do the police and even his own lawyer take no interest in his defence? Not much of it made sense to me. My sympathy for Kline was also tempered by the sheer silliness of some of his behaviour.

It’s a well-made and rather glossy film, but as a thriller, sadly lacking. And To Kill a Mockingbird it most definitely is not. Pakula was capable of much better.