DVD Round-Up: "Seven" (1995) - Starring Morgan Freeman and "The Next Three Days" (2010) - Starring Russell Crowe

Seven (1995)

The Basics: Thriller surrounding the search for a serial killer that finds a grizzled, soon to be retired police detective, William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), joining forces with a much younger and recently transferred Detective David Mills. The duo desperately search for the killer, who is patterning his murders on the seven deadly sins; gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, lust, and envy.

Reasons to Watch: The superb cast is led with quiet determination by Morgan Freeman and the manic undertones of Brad Pitt. The cold, calculating killer (no spoilers here) is able to utilize his intelligence and knowledge of psychology to keep everyone off balance. Gwyneth Paltrow brings a refreshing air of innocence to her role, as David's lonely wife, Tracy.

The Bottom Line: Great performances, an intricate and intelligent screenplay, by Andrew Kevin Walker, and the deft direction of David Fincher make Seven an unforgettable psychological thriller that will get under your skin and may stay with you long after the film ends. During the film, I thought the killer might be either Mills or Somerset, which is to the credit of the screenplay and to the performances from Freeman and Pitt. If you have never seen the film, consider them both suspects.

The Next Three Days (2012)

The Basics: A wife and mother, Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks), is convicted of a murder that she may or may not have committed. Her distraught husband, John (Russell Crowe), becomes obsessed with an intricate plot that he designed to help her escape from prison.

Reasons to Watch: The terrific cast, including Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson and Brian Dennehy, deliver strong work. The movie was filmed on location in Pittsburgh, PA and, as a former resident, I appreciated seeing so many familiar sites.

The Bottom Line: An overly long and completely unrealistic film that managed to hold my attention, despite those flaws. Viewers who can suspend their disbelief may find it more enjoyable than those who cannot.

Anna Kendrick Stars in "Pitch Perfect" - "Glee" Goes to College

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

A capella singing groups, young and open minded students, and countless mash-ups of mostly older songs, with a few new ones thrown in to be hip and happening. No, this is not Glee, but the new film Pitch Perfect, which must have been at least partially inspired by the popular television series. However, the film is set in college, not high school, but the characters may seem familiar. The stuck-up pretty girl, the overweight chick, the lesbian, the sexy party girl, and the shy, almost silent, introvert comprise most of the singing group known as The Bellas, who square off against the seemingly unstoppable Treblemakers in regional competitions.

After an embarrassing end to last year's finals, The Bellas are looking to recruit new and talented members. Group leaders Aubrey (Anna Camp) and Chloe (Brittany Snow) convince new arrival, Beca (Anna Kendrick), to join the group. Beca is a great fit, but her intelligence and creativity baffles Aubrey, who insists on doing everything her way and is not open to new ideas. Despite support from her fellow group members, Beca's ideas are dismissed. As a result, The Bellas once again rely on the tired Ace of Base song "I Saw The Sign" for their signature performance, with little success.

Beca is also dealing with a potential love interest, Jesse (Skylar Austin), an anti-social roommate, Kimmy Jin (Jinhee Joung), and a troubled relationship with her father (John Benjamin Hickey), so she has a lot to contend with. As a result, she pushes Jesse away when she should be leaning on him for support. That is one of several mistakes Beca makes during the course of the film. However, while she is dealing with drama, the ensemble cast, including Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), appear to be having a good old time. While Kendrick is the star of the film, Wilson delivers some of the funniest and most memorable lines and she possesses a fine singing voice, too.

The struggle to make The Bellas successful is accentuated by several very entertaining performances, some impromptu, from the large cast of characters, including "Right Round," "Let it Whip" and "Price Tag/Don't You (Forget About Me)/Give Me Everything." The performances are mainly well choreographed and during the singing competition, emcees Gail (Elizabeth Banks) and John (John Michael Higgins), provide laugh out loud commentary. While there may seem to be an overabundance of characters, most of them add something worthwhile to the film.

The screenplay, by Kay Cannon, focuses mainly on Beca's journey to find peace within herself, which includes her place within The Bellas. She has much to offer, but can sometimes be her own worst enemy when dealing with interpersonal relationships. Cannon also utilizes a great deal of humor to offset the more dramatic moments, so the mood remains light throughout. In addition, director Jason Moore has assembled a talented and likable cast of characters who are not afraid to fly their freak flag, which is much to their credit. While the story may not be original, the overall entertainment value of Pitch Perfect, including the music, performances, and especially the comedic talents of Rebel Wilson, Elizabeth Banks and Hana Mae Lee (as Lilly), make this film well worth seeing.

Pitch Perfect opens tomorrow, September 28, in limited release.