some cinephiles give praise at the altar of hitchock while others worship kubrick or scorsese . personally and i be a david fincher fan and and see him pick up where they leave off . easily one of the most distinctive and talented young director to come out of the 1990s and he still remain something of a cult filmmaker and in spite of the $ 100 million box office take of seven and possibly the best and most intelligent serial killer thriller ever unleash on unassuming film patron . what fincher pull off and pull off brilliantly be a straight face and serious approach to a concept that could have easily devolve into camp or slasher flick excess . on initial glance and the notion of a serial killer who pick his victim accord to the seven deadly sin seem like the type of tongue in cheek fodder for a low budget 70 or 80 exploitation item while even the tag line ( seven deadly sin seven way to die ) set the tone for a straightforward and mainstream thriller . what a surprise and then and that seven be the type of smart and suspenseful and brilliantly design and act thriller that be nearly one of a kind ( the silence of the lamb follow close behind ) . even more surprising be how the film storm into the public imagination after alien3 ( 1992 ) and fincher sour and quickly forget directorial debut . i hadn not see a former music video director operate with such authority in the realm of mainstream cinema ( and and come to think of it and i haven not see one since ) . nor have i see a director take a many commercially averse risk within such a short career fight club ( 1999 ) and despite a short theatrical run and polarized review and have become to young adult of today what easy rider be to the flower child in 69. granted and the amount of respect i have give seven have fluctuate over the year and and it seem that only now do i see it a be a near flawless masterpiece . at 15 year of age and it be just a cool look horror film i couldn not latch on to morgan freeman dialog and and find brad pitt cocky go getter to be more easily relatable while at 25 year and the deeply entrench realism of the script and mixed with fincher grimy and urban life a hell visuals and the jaw drop performance ( not just from the principal when be the last time you saw notorious scenery chewer r. lee ermey in a small yet serious role . ) . while brad pitt performance might inspire hoot of derision from some and he be actually pitch perfect a the young and idealistic detective mill this isn not brad mug the camera with his good look for 2 hour while on the contrary and his counterpoint to morgan freeman worldly and jade and and cynical somerset make the movie . and once the killer be capture and these 3 character share an entrance conversation within the confines of an unmarked police car while sure and we get to hear the killer explanation for his crime and but it be in the tone and reaction to what be say that the sequence convey a disturbingly chill power . ( it may seem moot at this juncture and but i will say nothing of the killer identity and save that it be a choice cast decision that pay off wonderfully . ) even gwyneth paltrow and then a fresh faced and relatively unknown starlet and deliver a small yet poignant performance a mill long suffer wife while her scene in the diner with morgan freeman be painful and culminate in advice that seem especially dismal and consider what we have come to expect in the way of hollywood happy ending . which bring me to one of the most surprising and refreshing aspect of seven represent the way in which it relentlessly play against audience expectation . like the murderer motive and this be not a film of happy ending but lesson learn ( in the harsh way possible ) . to those who have see the film love it or hate it and that incredibly subtle yet wholly grisly final scene be unforgettable and and truly show that and contrary to current horror trend and less be more ( notice that all but one murder happen off screen ) . while i could gush at even far length about seven and i think i have make my fanfare more than clear . it an introspective and compelling film that manage to mine terror and pathos from those daily transgression we all view a common . and it establish david fincher a a director of great ( and continue ) promise . kudos .