Freedomland Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)February 17th, 2006
FREEDOMLAND
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2006 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2
FREEDOMLAND, by director Joe Roth (CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS and REVENGE OF THE NERDS II), suffers from a terminal case of obviousness. Ostensibly a mystery, it is actually a thinly veiled sermonette on racism in America and on fascist police behavior.
Again starring in a missing-child story that starts promisingly but loses its way, Julianne Moore (THE FORGOTTEN) delivers a sterling performance in a mediocre movie that doesn't deserve her talents. As the film opens, we see Moore as Brenda Martin, a bloody-handed woman who stumbles into the hospital to relate an obviously questionable tale. It seems that she was driving through "the projects" when, on an especially dangerous shortcut, she was carjacked by a generic black man. Upon follow-up questioning by Detective Lorenzo Council (Samuel L. Jackson), she slaps herself on her head, having just remembered that her sick, four-year-old son was asleep in the backseat of the stolen car. Part of her rambling story includes the mention that she is an ex-druggie, but she claims to have been clean for five years. Based on her erratic actions, she appears to have long since fried her brain.
The movie plays like a cross between MISSISSIPPI BURNING and ALONG CAME A SPIDER with a little bit of THE EXORCIST thrown in for good measure. With the exception of Lorenzo's white partner, played in a token part by William Forsythe, all of the white cops are various versions of what were called "pigs" in the 60s. The lead of this caricatured group is an officer named Danny (Ron Eldard), who is Brenda's overzealous brother. He arranges for the entire public housing project to undergo "lockdown," as if it were literally a prison, so its residents will "give up" the boy's alleged kidnapper.
As Lorenzo works furiously to find Brenda's son, he develops doubts about the veracity of her version of the events. This isn't helped by her refusal to discuss the case. Lorenzo makes the common mistake of many contestants on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" He forgets to poll the audience. We could easily have yelled out the answer to the movie's modest mystery. But, if we had, the director would have been deprived of his pulpit, in which he is able to rail against police racism.
Just like the ending to HIGH NOON, the director lines up both sides for a big confrontation in the ghetto. One side comes unarmed, while the other is heavily overarmed, with billy clubs, shields and padded uniforms. Not exactly a fair fight, but it isn't supposed to be. It is just a ridiculous setup, as is the rest of the movie. And, to add insult to injury, the whole last act is run at about one-third speed, making the movie seem like it will never get to its preordained conclusion.
FREEDOMLAND runs a very long 1:53. It is rated R for "language and some violent content" and would be acceptable for teenagers.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, February 17, 2006. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
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