Freedomland (R-2006)

"Freedomland" is a movie driven by performances. Part "Gone Baby Gone", part "Do the Right Thing", it is a powerful movie fueled by escalating racial tension. When Brenda Martin (Julianne Moore) is carjacked while driving through the projects and informs the police that her son was still in the car, it brings down a rain of cops from the "white side of town" who have the projects under siege until they can locate and rescue the little boy. Caught in the middle is Det. Lorenzo Council (Samuel L. Jackson), who is heading the investigation while trying to keep the racial powderkeg from exploding. The more time he spends with Brenda Martin, the more it seems like she is hiding something. This is a riveting movie from beginning to end and Jackson and Moore give great performances. At first, Moore comes off as really annoying. She is shaking and crying, but takes forever to mention that her son was in the car, but as the story unfolds, she is able to convey the tension and stress that she is feeling. Jackson is solid from beginning to end, wanting to do what's right, while still keeping his "street cred" with the residents of the projects. The one minor critique is that Det. Council has asthma, which seems to be a throw-away character trait. He has two attacks in the film, but neither seems to have any effect that is relevant to the story. When I was watching "Resurrecting the Champ", it seemed like an Oscar-grab film for Jackson in which he plays a down-trodden character who looks and sounds different from himself to demonstrate his acting chops. THIS film, however, really shows how good Samuel L. Jackson is. The movie also features excellent performances by Edie Falco and Ron Eldard. Great performances, great movie.

Grade: A-

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