Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Se7en – David Fincher – 1995
Why Watch?
Tuesday nights are magical nights. On Tuesday nights one of our local theaters shows “classic” movies. I love going to a theater to see any movie, but I especially like seeing older ones. Sometimes they are movies that I have seen over and over again, and other times they are movies I am less familiar with. I love to scroll through the theater’s app looking for the movie my husband will agree to go see (again).
Last Tuesday the classic movie was David Fincher’s 90’s thriller, Se7en. It had been awhile since I’ve seen this one. I know I didn’t see it when it was originally in theaters. I was 19 and in college and movies were the last thing on my mind. I do remember the, “What’s in the box?” line and that the crimes were based on the seven deadly sins, and Brad Pitt was in the movie, but that is about all I could remember.
At about 6:25, Shane and I left the comfort of our couch and electric blankets and made our way to the Harkins Mountain Grove theater in Redlands, California. This isn’t our closest theater, but it is the one that shows the Tuesday classics, so we don’t mind driving a bit further. Also, the Harkins has a great loyalty program. My concessions cost a whole $3. That is the cost to refill my loyalty cup with Coke Zero, and a medium popcorn. The popcorn is “free”. I buy something called a popcorn perk. For $40, I get 36 bags of medium popcorn for “free”. If I wanted, I could upgrade to a large for a dollar, but since I’m the only one eating the popcorn, I keep it the free size.
With my popcorn and soda in hand, we walk into Cine 1, the “big” theater. It isn’t packed, but it isn’t empty of movie goers. It is pretty much the perfect amount of people in the theater.
Film Specifics
Se7en was released on September 22, 1995. It was written by Andrew Kevin Walker and was directed by David Fincher. You might know Fincher from some of this other directorial efforts such as 1999s Fight Club, also staring hunky Brad Pitt, and 2010s The Social Network, which notably does not feature Mr. Pitt, but Armie Hammer in a double role.
The film Fincher made prior to Se7en was his debut film, Alien 3, or Alien Cubed as many like to call it. Even though Fincher mistakenly received a copy of the script for Se7en, he committed to directing it as long as the downer of an ending stayed in the movie.
The film was a hit, even though it was dark, grimy and violent. It was the seventh highest grossing film of 1995. This success helped not only Fincher, but it helped Pitt find more serious acting roles.
Synopsis (No Spoilers!)
Se7en is a crime thriller that follows two police detectives, Morgan Freeman and the aforementioned Brad Pitt, as they try to solve a series of gruesome murders. Freeman is the seasoned veteran, while Pitt is the newbie, trying to prove himself.
Freeman’s character, Somerset, is getting ready to retire and Pitt’s character, Mills, will be taking over his cases. During the transition week, they are dispatched to the first murder scene. They find an obese man, face flat in a plate of spaghetti, his arms and legs restrained. This is the first murder, each depicting one of the the seven deadly sins.
Mills is married to Tracy, played by Pitt’s then girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow. They have some big dogs and live in an apartment that shakes every half hour or so because of the nearby subway station. Tracy longs for the country and does not like living in the city. But Mills wants to make a name for himself, so he and Somerset start to diligently work the case.
The Watch
Boy oh boy, I had a grand time watching this one. Obviously the film had my attention at the jump. The crime scenes are disgusting and sometimes difficult to look at, but very interestingly staged and filmed. The theater audience was quiet and engaged, no random people on their phones or talking loudly.
What I really enjoyed about this watch was how 90s Se7en is. From the opening credit sequence, to the underdeveloped female character, to the use of a Nine Inch Nails song, I was in 90s heaven. For heaven’s sake Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Morgan Freeman and regrettably Kevin Spacey are in this movie, you can’t get more 90s than that.
Speaking of the female characters, there are not many. Paltrow’s character is a suffering wife with not much to do. She doesn’t have many scenes and when she is on screen, she’s pretty one dimensional. Where are the strong female characters? She puts up with her neglectful husband, she’s been moved to a place away from where she wants to live, and she has zero friends. Give women characters a break, would ya?
With all that said, I still thoroughly enjoyed this watch.
Rating
B+ – Se7en is fun. It is thrilling, especially if you haven’t seen it before. The setting is grimy and wet (there is a lot of rain) and it has that 90s grungy feel to it. If you are not a fan of blood and disgusting murder scenes, you might want to pass. However, if you like young Brad Pitt, middle aged Morgan Freeman, I 90s aesthetics, I highly recommend that you check this one out.
Contact Me!
I have an email! If you have questions, or if you would like to request an actor to be put on the wheel, or a movie you would like me to watch, email me. michele@michelesmoviediary.com. Also, if you like what you are reading, please share my blog. Thanks for your support!
FYI, I use my memory, Wikipedia and IMdb for a lot of the facts for this blog. If I am mistaken about any of the details, I truly apologize.
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