SEVEN (1995)

Drama. Directed by David Fincher. Starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, R. Lee Ermey, Richard Roundtree, John Cassini. Drama/Thriller

Synopsis: A veteran detective in his last week before retirement teams up reluctantly with a hard charging rookie detective to investigate a unique and sadistic serial killer who tortures and kills his victims as reflections of the seven deadly sins.

This creepy, disturbing thriller is another that should be on everyone's list of all timers. The only reason not to like this one is if you don't like the genre or the theme, there is nothing else to complain about otherwise.

Forbeding from the opening scenes, Seven is the story of two detectives put together at very different stages of their career. Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman An Unfinished Life The Maiden Heist ) is a deep thinking, experienced detective who is burned out all the way to heck and back. Somerset is days away from retirement when he is paired with rookie detective Mills (Brad Pitt Inglorious Basterds  Kalifornia). Mills is headstrong, idealistic, and has more than a little chip on his shoulder, which may be why he requested duty in the mean streets of the (nameless) big city.

They don't hit it off well at the beginning.

That pales in importance to a couple of murders that they are investigating, which are exceptional in their cruelty and viciousness. Its not long before the pair realize they are tracking a killer who is killing victims in accordance with the "7 deadly sins" of classic literature: sloth, greed, gluttony, lust, wrath, envy,and vanity. Trust me when I say, not wanting to be a spolier, that these killings are a little different, to say the least. As just one example, the "gluttony" murder is one with an obese victim who is forced to eat himself to death by the killer.

I don't feel too guilty by telling you-as you probably already know, even if you have not seen the movie-that Kevin Spacey (Edison Force The Negotiator) plays John Doe, the mysterious killer who does not appear in full face on screen until the last third of the flick. Trust me, its worth the wait as Spacey outdoes himself in the sinister, creepy mode of his character. Freeman and Pitt are also matched well as the "May/December" cop pair who really never buddy up, they do grow to respect one another, and their professional relationship is important to the film as the backdrop of the killings doesn't really domiante the film until the last 20 minutes.

Few films can be really great without a strong supporting cast and this one is no exception. Gwyneth Paltrow ( Running With Scissors Proof) is really good as Mills' shy, demure wife and you'll love R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket) playing a familiar type (himself?) as the boss of Somerset and Mills.

Thankfully, the DVD version comes with some interesting special features. One of the good things about seeing some older flicks on DVD is that the commentaries of the director and actors are done well after the fact, so they know the impact of the film and have the advantage of hindsight. Neat stuff.

Great movie.