Fasten your seat belts and turn off your cell phones, as this will be a fast ride with detail you’ll need to pay attention to. While traditional movies invite us to understand the characters early on, Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith and directed by Gabriele Muccino, takes you on a drastically different journey. The film opens with a man emotionally calling 911 to report a suicide – his own.

The film uses quick editing, called jump cuts, flashing from present to past in such a way, they seem to blur. You feel confused, wondering why you’re watching this. However, you’ll want to hang on.

Characters are introduced throughout but never reveal their true purpose. You’ll wonder, who’s the good guy, who’s the bad, only to realize this was never about good versus evil.

This movie is such a flip from the traditional; it will be uncomfortable to watch. But your patience is rewarded when in the end everything is revealed, with powerful lessons we all can learn from.

Although the storyline and subject matter is too complex for those under 12, teenagers and adults need to add Seven Pounds to their must see list. Seven Pounds will take patience to see it through, but this film is well worth the commitment.