Brilliant screenplay, amazing role performances, all in all a definite thriller masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2007)

I wasn't so sure what to expect, either a very brutal and a disturbing movie or an intelligent and an exciting thriller. Well, it was brutal at parts, disturbing at times, but it still managed to be an intelligent and an exciting thriller all the way through, a true diamond for the thriller -genre. The movie tells about two homicide detectives, an experienced veteran detective Somerset who's about to retire from his job and another detective Mills, a rookie who's supposed replace Somerset after he's retired. They soon team up together when they find out that there's a serial killer who commits his murders by choosing victims who each represent one of the Seven Deadly Sins. A perfect plot for a thriller indeed.
I just mentioned about the plot being perfect for a thriller, but does the screenplay manage that perfection? Oh yes, it does. The screenplay (written by Andrew Kevin Walker) is absolutely amazing, along with the whole storytelling. The whole movie is exciting and thrilling throughout all the way from the beginning till the end by not making one single stop or telling any irrelevant subplots. It focuses on the main theme, the whole progress of solving a crime in a very detailed way, making it undeniably one of the best thrillers ever made. Another thing mentioned above is that it was brutal and disturbing at times, but it still doesn't take it over the top. I could describe those parts as being important for the film itself. By showing these brutal things it makes you alert and sort of scared, and really makes you despise the unnatural murderer who's behind the horrible crimes. You really start to live the movie itself, you want to catch the criminal and make him pay what he has done. That is because the absolutely brilliant storytelling the movie has, also giving it a very good flow which causes the 2 hours go in a blink of an eye. That is what a real flow should all be about, making a 3 hour long massive epic movie seem like only a 30 minute short film. That is what "Se7en" manages, a flow that's just so good it's a real pleasure for eyes to see.
The directing is close to excellence and it is lead by David Fincher whose work I will most certainly be observing in the future, as I was so pleased on the result he managed with "Se7en". Fincher sort of follows the whole story as it should, translating the screenplay on the screen in a very successful and an entertaining way. The movie also got nominated for an Academy Award back in 1996 in the category of Best Film Editing. To be honest, I immediately noticed how detailed it actually was, how it made that flow even better scene after a scene. It makes the whole movie more immense and stirring, backed up by the great cinematography which gives the movie that dark edge it needs. The music's just gorgeous, building up the tension and making your heart beat very fast when there's these highly intensive scenes, giving the whole movie that final touch. It is composed by one of my favourite composers Howard Shore and to be honest the music is very much like Shore. I can't describe it more precisely, but if you're familiar with his work you know what I'm talking about.
Starring Morgan Freeman as detective William Somerset and Brad Pitt as detective David Mills a thriller couldn't ask more from the lead actors. Both role performances are outstanding and both actors are very convenient in their roles. Morgan Freeman happens to be one of my favourite actors of all time and he's indeed one of those actors you just have to admire because to me the man hasn't done one single bad role performance in his career. Freeman is very convincing as detective Somerset, giving the character that Freeman -edge it needs, being wise and witty, a perfect mentor. I must admit that Brad Pitt also happens to be one of my favourite actors and as detective Mills he does a superb job, making the character what it's all about, the one with the looks, being fierce and serious. Both of the characters have this very realistic depth in them. To me Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt were one of the best pair teams I've ever seen on the screen, they just compliment each other's performances so well it just almost makes me shed a tear.
"Se7en" is all in all an amazing movie. Surely one of the best thrillers I've ever seen. It's intensive, immense, exciting, detailed and thrilling, just what all thrillers should be like. Everything seems to click in this film; Brilliant screenplay, directing close to excellence, great characters and even better role performances, intensive cinematography and music that just captures the whole essence of the thriller -genre. Despite the fact of it being somewhat brutal at parts it really doesn't matter in the end, it still isn't that tasteless over the top violence the horror -genre seems to have, so you shouldn't even worry about what I said about it. I'm not saying it's a movie suitable for children, I'm saying it's a movie where even the brutal and disturbing scenes are made with a good taste and a classy style. I'd give it a 9.5/10, but as that is impossible it has to satisfy with the more than deserved 9. All this gives you an absolutely guaranteed motion picture experience, it does it smoothly and it does it with style. A thriller among the best.