The life of Quebec doctor Bruno Hamel (Claude Legault) is shattered when his eight-year-old daughter is discovered raped and murdered. The police quickly narrow in on a suspect Anthony Lemaire (Martin Dubreuil), but Bruno believes the maximum punishment Anthony can receive isn't enough. So he takes matters into his own hands, kidnapping Anthony and informing detective Hervé Mercure (Rémy Girard) that he'll torture his captive for seven days before killing him.
The buzz: French Canadian horror writer Patrick Sénécal adapted his own novel and French Canadian TV director Daniel Grou (who bills himself as Podz) makes his feature debut on this film that premieres in the Sundance Film Festival’s midnight movie section. It’s also available on demand from major cable companies through a new “Direct From the Sundance Film Festival” initiative to give a release platform to some of the fest’s more offbeat titles.
The verdict: Torture porn goes philosophical in this meditation on the emotional and psychological toll of vengeance. The violence is graphic—Bruno strips Anthony naked and beats him with a chain and a sledgehammer, among other punishments—but the filmmakers aren't interested in supplying "Saw"/"Hostel" style cheap thrills without forcing the audience to really confront the situation's complex moral ground. Is Bruno justified? Will his actions bring him any peace or satisfaction? How hard should the police work to stop him? What do the families of Anthony's other victims think? What does Bruno's wife think? This brutal, provocative movie won't be to all tastes, but sophisticated horror fans will be thrilled someone has the stomach to take the genre seriously.
'7 Days' review
Bloody revenge story doesn't lose its head
By Geoff Berkshire
MetromixJanuary 21, 2010
- Critic's Rating:
Claude Legault
(Credit: image.net)
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