atkinsonthomas18
It would be easy to put 7 Cases in the same league as something that Vertigo Films might produce for about a fiver, but when viewing the film, there is a larger sense of expertise surrounding it. Indeed, it is clear to see the budget on which this was made (the use of GoPros in the robbery scene near the beginning, whilst inspired, is still obviously a GoPro) but that doesn't detract from the interesting and surprisingly stylish execution from director Sean Vincent. Steven Berkoff's rather unhinged role is small, so any who came for him (although I can't see why that would specifically be the case) may be disappointed at his lack of screen time, but what time he does have he uses well, if a little obviously. What is really surprising is the performance of the two leads, brilliantly bouncing off each other, particularly in the car sequences. Plotwise, it's not necessarily the most original concept but it is, as is the case with this kind of cat-and-mouse plot, rather an exciting one. It's thrilling to follow the two main characters around in the BMW whilst they discuss the possibilities of failure in the mission, even if it is rather familiar. Of course, the thing which elevates the film here is the score by Jonathan Atkinson. There are echoes of Inception's soaring closing moments, Daft Punk's pulsating score for Tron Legacy and, of course, The Dark Knight. However, it never feels unoriginal or forced, but rather an element of the film which lifts even the slowest moments. It's debatable that the film should not need this sort of support from its music but that's hardly noticeable.Just get past the obvious template behind it (get a big name actor to do a bit part in a small film and then have the entire marketing campaign around them for a small budget thriller) and 7 Cases is an enjoyable and surprisingly thoughtful thriller.
nebk
7 Cases tries to be a thriller and fails. It looks and sounds both amateurish and boring. It concerns two criminals called Mitchell & Floyd trying for one last big score. The score entails a robbery after which the money that they stole is divided into 7 cases. The day after the robbery Floyd and Mitchell wake up to find the cases gone. They are left with instructions to go to different locations where the cases are and when they get there they can either choose to take the money or to save a person in imminent danger. They can't have both. So they either save the life of someone they know or take the case. The rest of the movie is spent trying to retrieve the cases and diffuse the traps that their nemesis (played by Stephen Berkoff) has set.The dialogue in this movie is very bad at times and the acting is not much better. The editing seems choppy and the movie tries to emulate the death traps which were utilized better in the Saw films. This wouldn't be an issue if the movie was interesting but it is not, and starts dragging as the time goes on. I hoped that Stephen Berkoff would add something to the film given how many villains he has played in the past but alas this was not to be. The most interesting thing about this film is that Berkoff has more acting credits under his name then the rest of the cast combined. Overall this was a disappointing waste of time. A generous 2/10.
