unknowns in the lead roles?

Don't get me wrong, I think Penn and Sarandon both knocked it out of the park with their performances. However, do you think this movie might have been even more powerful if the two leads had been played by unknown actors? As it is, there's a tiny bit of disconnect because we recognize the people playing the parts. I think it would put us "there" a little more, stir up some deeper emotions.

For example, I'd never heard of Kevin Spacey before I saw "Se7en" and for a long time after, he scared the crap out of me whenever I heard his voice. Imagine if Poncelet was played by some guy you'd never seen before; he might as well be a murderer on death row for all you know. Imagine having reason only to fear and hate him and then watch someone try to reach him like Sister Helen does.

It might also make one wonder a little more if they could ever sit with a convicted rapist/murderer in prison and have a conversation and maybe even forge a bond. As it is, we may think "I could do it," because the only rapist/murderer we have to identify with is being played by Sean Penn. There's that escape hatch of unreality. Think of the capital cases you're familiar with and the people convicted of them and imagine spending time with one of them. I think you'd get a better of idea of what it must be like to do that if the movie went the unknown route.

No complaints against the movie as it is, though. I just got to contemplating that "what if".