Freedomland (C or 2/4 stars)
Morbid is one word to describe 'Freedomland', directed by Joe Roth. Det. Lorenzo Council (Samuel L. Jackson) has a lot to contend with. When a bloody, mentally unstable Brenda Martin (Julianne Moore) shows up at a New Jersey ER claiming that a 'black man' has stolen her car (and 4 yr. old son inside), Lorenzo knows that the insinuation won't sit well with the surrounding community. In a nearby slum-like neighborhood, Lorenzo traces some steps to find out what happened at the scene of the crime, & smooth things over before the racial tensions of the 'black' area explode in a riot of 'the black man' vs. 'the cops' vs. 'the white woman'. The cast is stellar, but the story is way too predictable & way too depressing with no pay-off in the end.
Lorenzo has a good relationship with the aforementioned neighborhood, the Dempsey Projects, because he has been their shield against the white cops for some time. He does & says some things that Detectives shouldn't do and say, but that is human nature. Everyone in these projects knows Brenda because she works at their day care center. Lorenzo has a hard time trying to keep her safe from angry residents, keep his own 'black ass' safe, keep the angry residents safe from prejudice cops, and find out if Brenda's 'kidnap' story is for real. I'm glad I'm not Lorenzo.
Midway through the film, enter Karen Collucci (Edie Falco) as leader of an organization that helps search for missing children. With her help, Lorenzo is confident that he can crack the surface of Brenda's story & see if the child is missing or alive, at all. Who kidnaps Cody? Is Brenda telling the truth? Can Lorenzo beat the ticking time bomb that is the Dempsey Projects ... before it is too late? Is there more that meets the eye to Lorenzo? What is the fate of all our characters?
I tell you, it isn't a fun experience watching this movie. From the opening scene, we have the sad, angry, confused lunatic that is Julianne Moore. I'll admit, most of her acting here is great. The pain in her eyes and heart is evident as she grows more & more frustrated by the search-for-missing-person process. But the scene that reveals Cody's whereabouts goes on for way too long and Moore chews up the scene, spits it out, picks it up, chews some more, & spits it out again in grueling fashion ... no need. And the man who plays Brenda's brother, Ron Eldard, is not an overly effective character. Samuel L. Jackson is competent in these types of roles, he does them well. Edie Falco plays the other side of a woman who's lost her child. Her demeanor is calm, resolute, & understandable.
The climax of the film involves the truth surrounding Cody's disappearance. Not only is it predictable, but it comes with a good 25-30 minutes left in the film. Where's the drama? Literally. After this 'climax', the racial side of the plot (raging riots in the projects) comes to a close, as well. Some of it is powerful, most of it is cliche & pointless. Brenda and Lorenzo's relationship is interesting, their dialogue is delivered fairly well, and the serious nature of the film holds some weight. But several slow moments, pedestrian cinematography, & a lack of any sense of hope and/or growth from the main characters leaves me extremely cold.
Lorenzo has a good relationship with the aforementioned neighborhood, the Dempsey Projects, because he has been their shield against the white cops for some time. He does & says some things that Detectives shouldn't do and say, but that is human nature. Everyone in these projects knows Brenda because she works at their day care center. Lorenzo has a hard time trying to keep her safe from angry residents, keep his own 'black ass' safe, keep the angry residents safe from prejudice cops, and find out if Brenda's 'kidnap' story is for real. I'm glad I'm not Lorenzo.
Midway through the film, enter Karen Collucci (Edie Falco) as leader of an organization that helps search for missing children. With her help, Lorenzo is confident that he can crack the surface of Brenda's story & see if the child is missing or alive, at all. Who kidnaps Cody? Is Brenda telling the truth? Can Lorenzo beat the ticking time bomb that is the Dempsey Projects ... before it is too late? Is there more that meets the eye to Lorenzo? What is the fate of all our characters?
I tell you, it isn't a fun experience watching this movie. From the opening scene, we have the sad, angry, confused lunatic that is Julianne Moore. I'll admit, most of her acting here is great. The pain in her eyes and heart is evident as she grows more & more frustrated by the search-for-missing-person process. But the scene that reveals Cody's whereabouts goes on for way too long and Moore chews up the scene, spits it out, picks it up, chews some more, & spits it out again in grueling fashion ... no need. And the man who plays Brenda's brother, Ron Eldard, is not an overly effective character. Samuel L. Jackson is competent in these types of roles, he does them well. Edie Falco plays the other side of a woman who's lost her child. Her demeanor is calm, resolute, & understandable.
The climax of the film involves the truth surrounding Cody's disappearance. Not only is it predictable, but it comes with a good 25-30 minutes left in the film. Where's the drama? Literally. After this 'climax', the racial side of the plot (raging riots in the projects) comes to a close, as well. Some of it is powerful, most of it is cliche & pointless. Brenda and Lorenzo's relationship is interesting, their dialogue is delivered fairly well, and the serious nature of the film holds some weight. But several slow moments, pedestrian cinematography, & a lack of any sense of hope and/or growth from the main characters leaves me extremely cold.