Will Smith’s latest movie, “Seven Pounds,” has raised a lot of controversy among both film critics and the general audience. While some think that Will Smith turned on his dramatic, romantic on-screen persona, others are of the opinion that the actor merely toned down the qualities that have made him an appreciated actor.

 

The plot of the movie doesn’t brew originality, yet the premise is interesting and intriguing enough to make you wonder “what will happen next?” not to mention that you will keep watching the movie even if just to find out what the character’s deep, dark secret is. Will Smith plays Ben Thomas, a very – possibly excessively – dedicated IRS agent, who is haunted by a powerful secret and who vows to forever change the lives of seven strangers.

 

Ben Thomas is a character made up of contrasting characteristics. On the one hand, he appears to be an atypical IRS agent, while on the other hand he harasses a blind customer-service operator, masterfully played by Woody Harrelson, used to playing characters with disabilities, and usually chooses to only audit people with severe medical problems.

 

The story turns heart-wrenching when Ben Thomas falls for Emily Posa, played by Rosario Dawson, a woman with a heart disease, whose taxes are put on hold thanks to Ben.

 

No matter how confusing and mysterious, maybe even psychotic Ben Thomas may appear to be, the love story in “Seven Pounds” gives you a new perspective on the notion of “carpe diem.”