The plot begins at the scene of a murder, how predictable, as Detective William Sommerset (Morgan Freeman) is heading up the investigation. The old-cop/young-cop motif quickly emerges as Detective Wills (Brad Pitt) arrives on the scene for training - Sommerset's retiring within the week and Wills is taking his job.
After some squabbling, as young and old partners often do in the movies, they are called to the scene of another murder, this one quite unusual. Without going into too much gory detail, the victim is found dead at his kitchen table in a plate of spaghetti with his hands and feet tied together with twine - a four-hundred-plus-pound victim of eating until his insides burst.
Since Sommerset plans to retire within the week, he passes the case along to his protégé, despite protests from his boss. Then, it happens again - another murder. This time, an assistant district attorney is found dead in his office with a pound of his flesh (which he apparently cut off himself) on a scale and the word GREED written on the floor in his blood. The only clue the dynamic duo has is a photo of the lawyer's wife with circles of blood drawn around her eyes.
Later, Sommerset returns to the scene of the first crime and discovers the word GLUTTONY written in grease behind the refrigerator, along with a note from the murderer. He determines that there will be five more murders, each one having to do with one of the seven deadly sins; left to deal with are (in no particular order) LUST, PRIDE, SLOTH, WRATH, and ENVY.
From here on out, the plot takes some rather interesting twists until the murderer, played by the creepy Kevin Spacey, makes his appearance. His name: Jonathan Doe. How ironic. The police can't seem to get his real identity out of him, not that it matters. The ending is no surprise to the viewer, but is fulfilling somehow. You'll see what I mean when you watch the film.
Overall, the film is well done, except for its often dark and very wet cinematography - it doesn't always rain in New York, and I think they were a little rain-happy. In fact, while filming an action scene in the rain, Brad Pitt fell and put his arm through a wind screen, halting filming while he had surgery on it (where was his stunt-double?). Still, the rain added to the gloom and to Sommerset's frustration with his job and his town.
One thing I just didn't get about the film was how they could track the killer by his library card, with a little top secret information from the Bureau, when he had a library full of books. The killer is extremely well-read and intelligent - it's just his rationale that doesn't quite gel with that of the rest of society.
The role of Sommerset wasn't a great one for Freeman, although he did make the best of it. Truthfully, just about anyone could have played him, and Freeman really didn't bring anything fresh to the role of the old, unhappy cop. Pitt's performance as Mills was cocky, but that's nothing new for him, either - it was a Tom Cruise kind of role that, again, just about anyone could have done.
Spacey, as always, sends chills up your spine with his rationale behind the brutal killings in which he forces most of his victims to kill themselves by their sins or by the opposites of them. His performance here is akin to that in "The Usual Suspects," and both films are definitely worth checking out.
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