It Would Be A Sin To Miss Se7en

Rating: 10/10 (21 June 2006)

Movies, like music, often help to define the decade in which they originate from. I am 32, so I happen to love a lot of movies from the 80's. Movies like Top Gun, Breakfast Club, St Elmo's Fire, Die-hard and Lethal Weapon very much define the 80's for me.
In my opinion the three most defining movies of the 90's are Pulp Fiction, Silence Of The Lambs and Se7en. Those three movies best capture the mood of the 90's. Smart, dark, cool, gritty and witty. Everything, after all, that the 80's were not (young, dumb and full of cum).
I can best describe the movie Se7en as a combination of Taxi Driver and Silence Of The Lambs. It is a close look at the ugly underbelly of society. The people and things we look away from when we pass them by on the streets. More than that, it is a disturbingly close look at the ugliness that we all possess on some level.
The plot and screenplay in Se7en are superb. The best there is. The story is simple yet that of genius. A veteran cop (Somerset/Freeman) serving his final 7 days of duty is paired up with a younger cop (Mills/Pitt) who is ready to kick the world in the ass and they are both after a maniacal serial killer who is completing his masterpiece offing 7 victims for 7 deadly sins. Somerset is jaded and cold while Mills is eager and hopefull. A perfect match. Somerset is black and Mills is white. Absolute genius.
I can remember being in absolute awe when I first viewed this movie in the theatre. Nothing I'd seen since Taxi driver compared. It's unabashed view of society is unparalleled. Even our two "heros" aren't terribly admirable. I am actually embarrassed to admit that I understood the serial killers disgust with society during his explanation of his masterpiece to Somerset and Mills. That's not to say I justified his actions. And the casting of the serial killer? Again, absolute genius. Especially because the actor asked that his name not appear in the movie's advertisements or billing.
Se7en is not for the faint of heart, but it IS thoroughly enjoyable for fans of cinema. It satisfies on every level.