Will Smith tests his box office mettle with a well meaning, yet disturbingly morbid redemption tale, Seven Pounds.

Smith re-teams with Pursuit of Happyness director Gabrielle Muccino, with what was sure to be a desire to repeat the critical success of their first collaboration. Unfortunately, despite its intentions, Seven Pounds collapses under the weight of a heavy plot, packed to the brim with every cliché found in the book of Hollywood tales of salvation via personal sacrifice.

Writer Grant Nieporte’s screenplay rests on dangerous ground, since it lives or dies on one crucial moral conflicting twist, which will either be predicted within the first 15min – which was the case with this critic – or will have its impact softened by a plodding middle section.

Smith stars as IRS agent Ben Thomas. It is a role which stretches Smith’s acting chops, since it is devoid of his best characteristic – charm – and places him in a bad light straight off the bat, as he accosts a blind man (Woody Harrelson) over the telephone. To Smith’s credit, it is a career defining role, which will most probably not get any recognition because of the negative to lukewarm notices Seven Pounds has and will receive.

Spurned by a personal tragedy, Thomas draws up a list of seven names using his connections in the IRS, and proceeds to create penance by offering them the ultimate gift: life. One of those people is Emily (Rosario Dawson), an independent business woman in dire need of a heart transplant, who softens Ben’s heart and makes him question his plan of action.

With Seven Pounds, indie favourite Dawson has finally found a mainstream role to channel her vast acting talent. Yet, likewise with Smith, the films lacklustre reception will not help her chances come awards time, which is a shame because she is especially good.

A disturbing stance on the issue of suicide as a means of atonement places Seven Pounds on shaky moral territory. Indeed, how can a film which preaches that life is a miracle to be cherished, constantly belittle its message without feeling a tad hypocritical? It is a problem which Smith and Muccino cannot ignore, and which taints an extremely well acted, yet ethically wavering and predictable film.