good at turns, but not worth the hassle

Rating: 5/10 (14 April 2009)

Two detectives try to hunt down a serial killer who seems to be attacking his victims using the seven deadly sins.
David Fincher at the time of Se7en's release was the man known only as the director who destroyed the Alien franchise, and quite right. Apart from a stunning final that showed his potential there was simply a collection of medium shots with none of that vintage scene stealing fast montages and flashes that would become so effective in his future release Fight Club and Panic Room. So there was a bit of pressure on here as casting renowned star Freeman and most recognized newcomer Brad Pitt about a delicate and interesting topic, and he didn't disappoint many. Seven is now renowned as one of the finest horrors ever made.
Starting off with a detective retiring and an ambitious but naïve new cop surprise surprise we have tension. This has been handled in so many films it is ridiculous and if you're expecting anything different in terms of this pairing, think again. The tension between the pair is obvious, the predictable gung-ho attitude by Pitt's Mills is soft and Morgan's law-abiding Somerset is simply boring.
So here we have 'drama' and as both are on the hunt for a serial killer we have 'crime' and the mystery man is attacking his victims with the deadly sins and so we have horrible murders that would label this as 'horror'. When reading descriptions I noticed this was labelled as one of the scariest films ever. I however didn't seem to find what was so scary. Sure the concept would have been scary if the murders had been effectively established but the pair of detectives hardly seemed bothered. They were mere happenings that stumbled in their way. This is a shame as this is a debatable topic that questions religion, social class and humanity. Apart from blood messages, you won't be jumping behind the sofa any time soon.
So Se7en simply tries to tackle too much. Horror, crime and drama are all encoded and seemingly not enough; the inclusion of the rain drenched city places it in noir too, as does Gwyneth Paltrow's flat protagonist. Impressive scene settings and costume design but when there is no plot there is no give, no adrenaline to match the mood.
There is also a lack of action in this 1995 picture. A full hour had passed before my head was inclined to be entertained. Then the final climax was finally worth watching. Heart stopping and well acted by all involved made Se7en moderately interesting. But despite this heavily debated climax and odd twists, it is not worth the whole waiting around