Seven

Directed by David Fincher

Seven is more of a contempary noir film then a crime drama or a thriller. Set in a nameless city that's either always dark and raining, the city has an affect on the characters as much as the crimes do. The film also does something that's not exactly the norm today. Instead of focusing on Mills, the young, more agile detective, played by Brad Pitt, the film focuses on the older, retiring detective Somerset, played by Morgan Freeman. Somerset provides a dark and disturbing view of the world. To him, there is no light or goodness in the world, or at least not in this city. You quickly get the feeling that he's been doing the job for 30 or 40 years and has seen the worst crimes commited to both the good and bad people of the city, and it's taken a great toll on him mentally and personally. Contrast to him is Mills, the over eager detective to make his mark. He's new to this experience in the city and while he at first thinks Somerset is naive, over the course of the film, he starts to break and become just like him.

The story of the film takes place over seven days with the killer, John Doe (a disturbing performance given by Kevin Spacy who doesn't even show his face until towards the end of the film) who performs disturbing and grusome killings with the theme of the seven deadly sins. Viewers can aruge wether or not David Fincher goes overboard with the graphic violence showed in the film, but it does serve a purpose. It goes along with the tone the city plays and just how sadistic John Doe is. His character has to be so dangerous and so unpredictable, that at the climax of the film, we all wonder what he's going to do to win one over Mills and Somerset.

In the end, Seven, despite it's grusome and sometimes senseless violence, sets a tone that is a call back to the noir films and blends with the thriller genre. And if anything, it does give us a reminder of how noir is a lost art and why so many viewers fell in love with it years ago.

-Chris Bergeris