Seven Pounds

Will Smith acts his little heart out in this bizarre, messy movie that wants so bad to be mysterious and clever, but winds up being really dumb. Smith plays an IRS auditor who seems to have a strange agenda; he shows up at targeted homes, discusses taxes, and then offers the subjects help. The film has a non-linear timeline, jumping from the present to flashbacks that show Smith’s character in a different home with a different job and another woman. The plot slowly reveals itself (you’ll probably guess what’s going on fairly early) and the results are kind of nuts. Smith is good here (he’s directed by Gabriele Muccino), as is Rosario Dawson. This is one of those movies where you look on the hard-working actors sadly, knowing that they are committed to roles in a bad movie, acting on superior levels and deserving something better.