Will Smith is Ben Thomas, an IRS agent with a mysterious secret. He seems to be searching for and attempting to help people with terminal illnesses and disabilities. All the while he is living out of a motel and having flashbacks to a car accident. He becomes very close to Emily Posa played by Rosario Dawson, who has a bad heart and is in need of a transplant. I don’t think it’s hard to put together the pieces of this movie before the big reveal in the end. Enough hints are dropped where you can figure out what Ben is up to. Even though I knew how it was going to wrap up, I was still completely interested in the story and had fun watching it.
Will Smith is becoming more than his action/comedy reputation that he acquired throughout his early career. He’s actually a good actor. Although he’s not as good in this as he was in The Pursuit of Happyness. Some scenes seem a little forced and most of the time the look on his face makes it seem like he just witnessed his dog die but it’s the secret behind his eyes that provides the mystery. Something happened in this guy’s life that is causing him to go out and help people. He wants to drastically change people’s lives forvever. But he’s not a happy man. He is very troubled by his past. He ignores his brother’s calls and doesn’t get too close to anyone… until Emily. The only person who he has contact with is a friend played by Barry Pepper. This friend knows Ben’s secret and it greatly upsets him.
The major flaw with the movie is the fact that you can figure out what happens. The movie opens with Will Smith placing a 911 call reporting his OWN suicide. This gives you some initial hints from the get go. I remember watching the trailers and being really confused as to what was going on and the reason for that is because you can’t tell this story in a trailer without giving away major plot points. Woody Harrelson also has a tiny part as a blind man. There’s not much you can say about him without spoiling things. He isn’t even important until the final scenes of the movie anyway. So because the movie is easily figured out, it’s not going to be as shocking when you find out what this mysterious IRS agent is up to. But it’s a fun ride, a good love story, and a Good Samaritan storyline that will leave you feeling happy yet sad at the same time. I give it props for hitting both ends of the emotional spectrum. I hope to see Will try some more drama in the future.
IMDB – N/A
Rotten Tomatoes – 30%
Movie Wiseguys – 6.5/10