David Fincher
Se7en

"The world is a beautiful place and worth fighting for. I agree with the second part..."

With this quote from Hemingway, David Fincher's 1995 masterpiece, Se7en, ends appropriately: two homicide detectives are on the trail of a serial killer who "operates" inspired by the seven deadly sins.

Fincher, previously a music video director, achieves cinematic success with his second work. His debut had already occurred with the third chapter of the Alien saga which, although inferior to the works of Ridley Scott and James Cameron, demonstrated the undeniable abilities of the director.

In Se7en, Fincher uses some typical detective clichés (the pair of agents each the opposite of the other, the black and the white, the "wise" and the "impulsive," the brain and the brawn) and makes them his own, creating one of the bloodiest and most brutal thrillers (the "sloth" murder, just to cite an example). Characters are somehow all negative, acting in a city (New York, although never explicitly named) subject to a dense and continuous rain, almost purifying, reminiscent of Blade Runner's Los Angeles. Frenetic, dynamic direction (the film's opening credits are beautiful) led to some critics accusing Fincher of virtuosity (to which he responded by filming with class and a near-documentary style—the splendid Zodiac).

Apart from the direction, a strong point is the actors: Morgan Freeman is perfect in the role of the disillusioned detective nearing retirement (it's a shame he remains somewhat confined to the role of the "wise older man"), the same goes for a glacial and sublime Kevin Spacey who delivers an applause-worthy performance. A separate mention for Brad Pitt: his reputation as "handsome" penalizes him and he often gets underestimated, just like Di Caprio, while I consider him an excellent actor, even in this film (in this regard, his performance in the beautiful The Assassination of Jesse James should be noted). A small role for the then Mrs. Pitt Gwyneth Paltrow.

Se7en has become a cult classic in every sense, a thriller I never tire of watching and rewatching. A fundamental film of the '90s, if only for the shocking and cruel ending. Cruel like the whole movie.