After the humorous horror genre, Tommy Wirkola tackles dystopia with Seven Sisters (What Happened to Monday in the original version). A new action movie by a strong woman(s)! Full card for Noomi Rapace whose performance fails to fill the superficiality of the scenario which poses a dystopian universe stuffed with adrenaline rather than deep reflection. From a proven, current and very worrying initial idea, the film bets everything on action to the detriment of a militant will that this genre wants.
Independent "Series B"
The term is not to be taken pejoratively. Go see Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, you will understand! Used to a zany horror genre, Tommy Wirkola directs with Seven Sisters his sixth feature film and the first in the dystopian genre. Criticism will take this situation into account. Produced by Raffella da Laurentiis and Netflix, the dystopia was shot entirely in Romania in 94 days. The director masters his staging which brings rhythm to action. Efficiency certainly, but not really originality or "paw". We would have appreciated some "signature shots" or virtuoso camera movements (in this crowded world). The soundtrack does not deserve to dwell on it as it remains simple and worthy of any action movie, without bringing a particularly melodic theme.
All these technical elements make it a film that could be described as a "B series" because it does not really differ from its predecessors in the genre. Located between two economic levels, the film tries to "make blockbuster" with means of small productions (we are talking about millions of dollars anyway). Tommy Wirkola is still at the beginning of his film career and the road is long before approaching references like The Sons of Man (2006) or 1984 (the remake of the same year). However, the screenplay of Seven Sisters is original. It is so rare that it must be emphasized. Unlike the two previous films which are adaptations of literary works.
A subject not dug enough
Black-listed from the class of 2010, the script of the film struggles to find a clear path. The action is predominant even if we try to address themes specific to dystopia (civil society, morals, religion) poorly conducted. For those who expect a female Blade Runner or another Gattaca, disappointment will be in order. Visually, the authoritarianism of society is embodied by its posters, its entrance halls and its ultra-repressive police (with its share of cowboys, who have things to prove themselves visibly). In 2073, holograms rule our lives, but in Seven Sisters the technological evolution is more like a backdrop than a plot that would develop in interaction with it. Except for the locking of firearms!!
The background message is relayed by a short archive montage at the beginning of the film. Is it a clear desire to announce the context so that we can focus on the action the rest of the time? The character of Glenn Close will take up this pamphlet by his dialogue at the end of the film, offering a pessimistic analysis of the future. Except that the message can't get through. We regret that it is not more questioned by the characters or debated during the film. Again, this may not have been the primary artistic will, so our opinion remains personal. However, we can be disappointed by the treatment of such a sensitive subject (overpopulation) that has threatened our planet for years. Many scientists have studied the subject. The film exposes more of a pessimistic observation of the future if we do nothing but a line of reflection on the solutions to find to avoid getting there! The label of the independent film would have allowed precisely this approach, for lack of budget to produce over-priced action à la Hollywood and other brainless marvelatic spectres! Unfortunately, and as is often the case, the form takes precedence over the substance and we want to impress the viewer. Because, remember, the 7th contemporary art has become a business….
Noomi Rapace power 7
We can only cheer the performance of the Swedish actress! The technical teams of Jose David Montero, the chief op, had to show ingenuity and, let's face it, to put together these siblings. The proliferation of special and visual effects in cinema brings a battery of expensive instruments and where you have to "try things" more than read manuals. Ian McKellen almost left the filming of the 1st Hobbit prematurely because he was not used to it with this green screen and the fact of giving the replica…… to emptiness! In Seven Sisters, the trick is meticulous and we can only congratulate the technical-artistic performance. Noomi Rapace merges and distinguishes herself in both the character of Karen Settman and the seven sisters. Visually, we understood that wigs and makeup are enough. In depth, the actress manages to embody every day of the week with very well conducted character traits. To get there, Noomi Rapace admits to having singled out the majority of the shooting in order to be able to skillfully juggle between her various characters. Far from embodying seven diametrically opposed people, she has the merit of playing more than one character in the film. And added to that the technical puzzles, we can only salute the work of the actress.
The director also had two talented actors, Glenn Close and Willem Dafoe. We will regret the sobriety of their playing. Glenn Close has already proven himself a thousand times in the role of the unscrupulous and cold leader. However, it was found cold and very not very expressive (probably due to its lines of dialogue that border on banality). She tries to impose her character in this universe, but she is all too fickle, not being able to really assert herself. The final reception scene is a good example. We love Willem, but here, despite his accuracy, he is only a spectre, a mentor who is not clearly defined. He logically initiates the story, but fails to be credible in his role as teacher/protector. In addition, his sudden disappearance from the story remains unexplained and we would have liked to know more about this grandfather stuffed with love for his seven granddaughters. From the outset the stone would be thrown at the director, probably overwhelmed by the technique and management of Noomi Rapace, who would not have paid more attention to these two monsters of cinema that are Glenn Close and Willem Dafoe. Again, these are just guesses to explain this pitfall of interpretation.
Noomi Rapace sparkles in Seven Sisters, a dystopian action thriller. We regret not knowing more about this universe. A serial adaptation in anthology (in 7 episodes for example) would have deepened the relationships between the sisters who are really put to the test when Monday disappears.
