Over The River, Over The Woods

The perrenial holiday visit to Grandma and Grandpa's took a twist this year. Emma didn't drive to the folks house, instead she was invited to spend a few days with Grammie & Gramps on their Disneyland vacation.

So dad took Emma down to SoCal on her first flight in a year. We met up with the grandparents in Santa Anna and Emma was whisked away to the land of Buzz Lightyear and Dumbo rides. Emma came home with many amazing stories (and a few souveniers) and dad got to spend a day flying, reading and Geocaching (three of his favorite things.)

A Pre-Release Review: Seven Pounds

Two of Five Stars - Rated PG-13

Editors Note : After being fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see a preview screening for "Seven Pounds" (ready for release this Friday, December 19) I felt obligated to share my review of the film. I hope you find it helpful. You may also want to get Hannah's take on this movie, because I think it differs greatly from mine.

Bait & Switch! I had seen just one trailer for this film. I noted that the director also brought us "Pay It Forward" and all signs pointed toward a heart warming film. While the amazing sacrifices presented in the movie were tear jerking, they were NOT heart warming. Seven Pounds was more closely related to films like "My Life," or "Phenomenon."

It took forever for this movie to "get going." I felt like I was being strung along through a disjointed sequence of seemingly unrelated events, struggling to see what the connections were and why I was being pulled through this maze of flashbacks and cryptic conversations.

The plot starts to become apparent to the careful observer but this does not relieve the feeling of confusion because I was then left to decipher what route the film would take the climax. A love story begins to bud as well which is a joy to watch but adds a layer to the questions about just how the film would wrap it's self up.

The conclusion was extremely dark and quite disturbing. The "rewards" the film was supposed to offer out of the dark climax to the film did not leave me feeling compensated for enduring the ordeal of observing the culmination.

With the overall let down of the film there were some bright points. The female lead, Rosario Dawson, was an absolute joy to watch. Her performance is Oscar worthy. Good chemistry is created between her and Will Smith and the brief love story is the shining redemption to the film. The writer creates some delicate metaphors that foreshadow the movie's climax and seeing these appear creates some of those heartwarming moments the film so desperately needs.

Overall, I was disappointed that a despicable event is exploited as noble motivation for the core premise of film. Take care in choosing Seven Pounds as a film to bring out the holiday spirit. I have worked hard not to give away any spoilers, and at some point I may write more about my interpretation of some elements of the film. Till then, let me know what you think - and we'll talk then.