Movie Review of Seven Pounds, Released 2008, Starring Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson. Absolutely NO SPOILERS in this review.

The movie Seven Pounds, released during Oscar Season in 2008 and woefully overshadowed by bigger guns such as Doubt and Revolutionary Road, had a poster that gave nothing away, except what it was not. It featured Will Smith, but it was not a blockbuster action movie, because he was simply attired in a business suit, as in The Pursuit of Happyness. There was no cute kid, though, just a very somber look on his face. Not a comedy, either, like Hitch. This is going to be one of those movies that make you think, I decided, and I love Will Smith (yes, even in Hancock, which actually turned out to be a rather touching movie), so I added Seven Pounds to my queue.

We saw it last night. I was right; it’s a movie that makes you think, and one that makes you feel. It’s a little heartbreaking and a little uplifting and a little awe-inspiring.

It’s also a mystery that must be unraveled; one of those movies that starts in media res with something very big indeed happening, but you have no idea what’s going on, at first. Then, bit by bit, things are revealed to you, and you start to piece things together and make educated guesses. Some of your guesses turn out to be right, and I would not be surprised if you are able to guess the main direction of the story a decent amount of time before it is openly revealed, but you never grasp the full extent until the very end. That’s one of the wonderful things about the movie: The pace at which things are revealed is satisfying, causing you to remain constantly engaged, yet never frustrated.

What’s the other wonderful thing? The humanity. The human face of tragedy and redemption, the integrity of Smith’s character, the vulnerability of Rosario Dawson, the surprisingly gentle Woody Harrelson in a rather small but brilliantly played role. This is an acting tour de force by Will Smith, who, even though he is playing a character who at times seems to be living a double life, never strays from the underlying relentlessness, the determination, that inhabits that character. I wish I could tell you what the title means, but it would give away the main idea. I wish I could tell you a little more about the plot, but like I said, it’s one of those movies you’re supposed to go into completely fresh, so don’t look up any other reviews, don’t look at any summaries, just watch it. You will not be sorry.

Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/@tima-miroshnichenko/

What Are Eurogames?

One of the things I love to do is play board games. I grew up playing games like Parcheesi, Aggravation, and Monopoly with my family, and over the last several years, I have also learned of the existence of "Eurogames", which are European-style board games that are very heavy on strategy and not just roll-and-move games, like the kind I used to play as a kid.

  Eurogames are probably quite well-known in Europe, I imagine, but were not so familiar to Americans. However, they are making inroads quickly. Many Americans have heard of or played Settlers of Catan, and you can buy it, as well as Ticket to Ride, another great introductory game, at mass-market retailers like WalMart. Once you get seriously into Eurogames, you will find yourself playing heavier fare, such as Lisboa, Terraforming Mars, Navegador, and Agricola. These games all have a lot going on and can take several hours to play. Agricola, by the way, was the game that Rachel played (and cheated at) with Scott on the television show Orphan Black. It has 14 rounds! I learned about Eurogames by joining a local gaming group that plays them. I discovered the gaming group through meetup.com, which is a great way to find local people who are into the same things you're into. Now Eurogames are a great enthusiasm of mine!

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/board-game-play-strategy-fun-933165/