Freedomland (2006)
Anthony Mackie, Aunjanue Ellis, Domenick Lombardozzi
A bloodied woman staggers mute and dazed into the emergency room at the Dempsy Medical Center. After treatment for shock and hysteria, Brenda Martin recounts to Dempsy police detective Lorenzo Council a horrific tale of being carjacked on the isolated strip of undeveloped land that divides Dempsy's ... (read more) A bloodied woman staggers mute and dazed into the emergency room at the Dempsy Medical Center. After treatment for shock and hysteria, Brenda Martin recounts to Dempsy police detective Lorenzo Council a horrific tale of being carjacked on the isolated strip of undeveloped land that divides Dempsy's urban housing projects from the blue collar town of Gannon, where she lives. She claims she was forced out of her car by a black man, but during the interrogation Council senses he's not getting the whole story. Only after hours of questioning does Brenda finally break down and confess that her four-year-old son, Cody, was asleep in the back seat of the stolen car. Led by activist Karen Collucci, members of the communities of Dempsy and Gannon unite in a search for the missing child, but the criminal investigation into the alleged kidnapping by a suspect who is presumed to be a local from the projects soon ignites long-simmering racial tensions between the two towns.
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R, 1 hr. 53 min.
Directed by:
Joe Roth
Release Date: Feb 17, 2006
DVD Release Date: May 30, 2006
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It's rather unusual that Hollywood would spend time and money on something other than an explosion or chase scene. Instead we get Freedomland, an interesting thriller about unrest between Black and White communities in America. Samuel Jackson is once... (read more) It's rather unusual that Hollywood would spend time and money on something other than an explosion or chase scene. Instead we get Freedomland, an interesting thriller about unrest between Black and White communities in America. Samuel Jackson is once again wonderful, his performance is intriguing to watch as we see his character spiral down into a chaotic mess as he tries to save the life of a kidnapped child. It is Julian Moore's performance as the distraught mother of the kidnapped son that steal's the show however. Unfortunately, like in typical Hollywood fashion, we have a lame antagonist and a silly ending which spoils all of the previous tension and interesting character development early on in the film. Freedomland is an enjoyable thriller that raises the bar somewhat on how thriller's in Hollywood should be made, but it is not a masterpiece. Watch it for the performance's on the main actors.
Aalio heraa ihmisessa ja joukossa tyhmyys taas tiivistyy. Joten, hoitaisivat jokainen vain omat asiansa ja pysyisivat kotona retteloinnin ja siihen provosoinnin sijaan.
Pretty good movie. Very powerful also. I was a little confused with Samuel L. Jackson's character for most of the movie. Seemed to me like he was protecting someone.
Julianne Moore e otrolig i den här filmen. Sam L Jackson och Edie Falco oxå bra.
Two excellent actors playing the main characters, a touching story in a political setting. The name of the movie holds irony that comes clear when watching - not so much freedom, after all, in the land of the free.
i like the quote samuel jackson said the more we know life the more mysterious life gets..notorious town. the thought living there scares me more.. brenda's story really a heart breaking story if that shit happens to me i think ill go crazy..this a... (read more) i like the quote samuel jackson said the more we know life the more mysterious life gets..notorious town. the thought living there scares me more.. brenda's story really a heart breaking story if that shit happens to me i think ill go crazy..this a story of cruel life..
Critic Reviews
Moviemakers who exploit the suffering and death of children to ratchet up the dramatic stakes belong in the innermost circle of hell, but Freedomland -- clumsy and overwrought as it is -- earns the right to its harrowing trajectory.full review
Freedomland is, at best, a noble failure, which leaves the charred aftertaste of a burned opportunity.full review
Freedomland, -- is a jittery, overwrought drama that does all it can to vanquish the fine performances lurking within it.full review
It tries hard and means well. And I couldn't hardly wait for it to end. Freedomland falls short as entertainment.full review
There are places where you can see a subtler, angrier picture trying to kick its way out of the one you're watching.full review
Steer clear of Freedomland, the movie. Your time would be better spent reading Richard Price's much more compelling 1998 novel.full review
Roth takes three powerhouse actors -- Julianne Moore as the mother, Samuel L. Jackson as the cop who interrogates her and Edie Falco as another woman who lost her son -- and reduces their talents to rubble and their characters to screeching cliches.full review
A monumentally overwrought story of child endangerment, racial antagonism, mob violence and police brutality, it provides some of our finest actors the opportunity to behave like bug-eyed, tinfoil-hat-wearing loonies.full review
Freedomland assembles the elements for a superior thriller, but were the instructions lost when the box was opened?full review
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