The latest Revolution Studios production, “Freedomland,” (directed by Joe Roth) is a shining example of why some books should just stay books.
Adapted from the 1999 novel of the same title, this crime drama written by Richard Price, tells the story of a missing child and consequences rendered by the ones accused of the mysterious crime. The events surrounding the supposed kidnapping are navigated gradually, providing a few surprises and heated confrontations, but ultimately leading to a lackluster resolution.
Julianne Moore plays Brenda Martin, a 37-year-old recovering drug addict who teaches children in the Armstrong projects of Dempsey, New Jersey, although she lives in the nicer neighborhood of Gannon. She appears at the Dempsey police station with bloody hands one night detailing a carjacking to Detective Lorenzo Council, played by Samuel L. Jackson.
Still sobbing and in shock from the incident, Brenda eventually reveals to Detective Council that her 4-year-old son, Cody, was sleeping in the backseat of the stolen car. After she describes the carjacker as a black man, the entire Armstrong Housing projects are put on lockdown while the police search the area for the assailant and Brenda’s missing child.
The social tension between the Dempsey residents and the Dempsey police heats to a boil as the neighborhood complains that the color of their skin is the sole reason for the lockdown. As Detective Council continues to prod Brenda for information regarding the now infamous encounter with the carjacker, he notices that her story is very vague, and furthermore, Brenda consistently dodges questioning about the kidnapping.
In the midst of their search for Cody, Brenda and Lorenzo encounter a group of volunteers who organize search parties for missing children. Against the backdrop of quickly escalating racial tension, the volunteers narrow the search to a decrepit, abandoned youth asylum from the 1950s – Freedomland. In the mysterious wooded area, the truth surrounding Cody’s disappearance is unraveled.
With all of the film’s slowly built suspense, this movie’s conclusion still comes off as just plain strange. The story envelops a subplot of police racism in the Armstrong projects, yet never seems to resolve the heated issue. The slow pace of the kidnapping mystery creates an odd juxtaposition when placed amongst the plentiful scenes of racism and police brutality. And even when the true events of the kidnapping are revealed, the story still seems uneventful.
Besides crying and looking strung-out for almost the entire film, Brenda Martin (Moore) displays a variety of weird habits which become annoying – like her repetitive, frantic recounts of the events leading to her son’s disappearance, or the random, drifting demeanor with which she displays her dementia. And, like always, Samuel L. Jackson does a good job of playing, well, Samuel L. Jackson.
“Freedomland” is not a terrible film. In fact, the story is quite intriguing at times. Unfortunately, it just seems out of place on the silver screen, lacking the clear cohesion and resolve one expects from a big-budget, box office flick.
“Freedomland” opens nationwide Friday.
