One of cinema's best crime thrillers, from the great David Fincher.

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2012)

David Fincher is a genius. I love this film, and some people might be turned off by its violent nature, but it really is an amazing crime thriller. A murder mystery tale at its finest.
The cast is superb. Morgan Freeman portrays Detective William Somerset, an experienced crime-solver who has been on the force for many years. He plans on retiring soon, & grows tired of the city's horrors. Freeman excels as a character burdened by the city's dark and twisted web of crime. He just wants to get out. Brad Pitt is also very good as newly transferred Detective David Mills. He's short-tempered and impatient, almost the complete opposite of the elderly Somerset. People don't give Pitt enough credit, in my opinion. He's a fine actor & often overlooked (though he is getting the attention he deserves nowadays).
The supporting cast is also excellent, with Gwyneth Paltrow playing Mill's wife. She is having trouble adjusting to the dark cityscape in which they now inhabit, and fears that something terrible might happen to her in the oppressive place.
The plot is fairly simple. A sadistic murderer has been going around killing in a way that relates to the seven deadly sins: Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Lust, Pride, Envy, & Wrath. It's very nasty business. Together, Somerset and Mills attempt to solve the murders. What follows is a dark & complex tale as the detectives race to find the murderer.
The cinematography in this film is excellent, it's dark and mesmerizing. The city is literally crumbling, and the look is achieved perfectly. The directors & writers really did good work on this, and there is some real emotional weight to the film. The villain is excellent as well (& I'm not going to spoil who he is played by, even though most people have seen this movie by now).
& then ending! What a shocker. Bottom Line; If you haven't seen this, watch it! I'm surprised I'm so dang late on this.