Plot: What’s it about?
“Seven” is the second feature film by the director David Fincher. Originally a commercial and music video director, he first debuted into feature films with “Alien 3”, then followed it with the disturbing story of a pair of New York City detectives (Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman) on the trail of a demented serial killer that is attempting to make a point with each of his murders.
The title “Seven” refers to the seven deadly sins. In the beginning of this movie, it appears that the murders are not related. However, as Detectives David Mills (Pitt) and William Somerset begin to dig deeper into each crime scene, they uncover more and more information. And none of it is good. All of this leads them on a chilling and grizzly trail to solve the case in the hopes of minimizing the number of murders committed.
To say anything further would risk revealing too much. Suffice to say that while the story is enthralling, it is also disturbing. It is a dark and harrowing movie that will be on the viewer’s mind for days after having watched it. Also, the surprise ending will no doubt leave a mark on your psyche too. While I am not sure I would recommend purchasing this movie for your permanent collection (again, this movie is not for everyone), I feel it is easily worth the cost of a rental.
In regards to the quality of the picture and sound, they were both very good. While the picture is great (lots of dark alleys and low lit rooms), your sound system will not get worked too hard. But this is also a drama, not an intense action movie. There is an occasional scene with a helicopter and the like, but nothing to strenuous for Dolby Digital. In fact, there were times when I wanted to turn up the sound in order to hear the dialogue better. One of the more irritating facts, however, was the fact that you have to get up and turn the disc over in the middle of the movie. While I readily admit that I am still learning the in’s and out’s of DVD, I do not understand why other movies can have TWO formats (standard & widescreen) on one disc, but this one had to have both sides to show this movie. Perhaps, as I learn the details of DVD production, I will gain more insight into this situation. Bottom line, while this movie is noticeably better than on VHS (what movie isn’t?) and very entertaining to watch, it is not one to throw into the DVD player in order to show off your home theater system to your friends.
Video: How does it look?
Very Good. Dark scenes (and there are several) were not too grainy and the colors were bright. Overall, a very clear picture.
Audio: How does it sound?
Good. Not too much of a workout for the subwoofer or rear speakers with this movie. There just are not many scenes requiring heavy surround sound. In general, however, it really does not detract from the quality of the movie.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Not a whole lot to talk about here. You get cast bios of the major stars in the movie as well as the director. Also, I am a little surprised that the original theatrical trailer was not included.
