Review: Freedomland (* 1/2)

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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