'Seven Pounds' treads a fine line between poignancy and sentimentality. Chances are, if the lead actors were ugly and the dialogue French, this would not be a point of contention. But as it stands, the inherent American smugness detracts from the film's interesting premise and there is something just a little too? well? artificial about the delivery.

Appreciation of 'Seven Pounds' is, in part, dependent on the viewer having very little knowledge of the plot. The film jumps in time, without any explanation, and it is up to the audience to piece together the clues and fragments which make up the complete story.

Essentially, it is a story of atonement and redemption. Ben Thomas (Will Smith), ostensibly and IRS agent, through a series of strange encounters with tax-defaulters (each with some sort of organ failure), finds his way from self-loathing to selflessness.

Along the way he meets Emily Posa (an effortlessly engaging Rosario Dawson), a young woman with a terminal heart condition and Ezra Turner (a competent Woody Harrelson), a blind pianist and vegetarian telemarketer.

Directed by Gabriele Muccino ('The Pursuit of Happyness') and written by Grant Nieporte, the film only occasionally drags whilst tackling some engaging subject matter. While you may initially be a little confused by the sequence of events and the lack of any kind of explanation, the pieces quickly fall into place and very few will be surprised by the inevitable conclusion.

While there are moments when it seems as if Will Smith is over-acting, his overall performance cements his reputation as a versatile actor who should be taken seriously. With excellent cameo performances from Harrelson and Barry Pepper (as Ben's friend Dan) and an enchanting performance by Dawson, 'Seven Pounds' gets away with taking itself a little too seriously.

So what about that mysterious plot? Here's a hint: the title may very well have its origins in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice'.