This movie is busy and unorganized. There are so many different stories going on all at once, it's hard to keep up with the original plot. The cast is strong but even they fall short in this tangled mess of a movie

A movie that could have cut 30 minutes and still send the message they wanted to send. Now the real question what was the actual message of the movie?

Freedomland wastes a tasty pairing of Moore and Jackson on a film littered with so many strange, amateurish errors that one wondered who allowed this mess to occur. For goodness sake, Joe Roth's last directing credit before this was Christmas with the Kranks! The editing in some sections is some of the worst that I have seen in any film. Fade transitions showing the age of the film and at least one egregious slow-motion shot, along with a few random melodramatic sound effects, contribute to a notion that this editor should be allowed nowhere near a film studio again without a serious reappraisal. For goodness sake, he worked on Mission: Impossible? What went wrong?! The most climactic scenes are ruined by their overlong dialogue failing to strike any serious chords of originality. Moore gives her all and almost sells it, but too many of the other characters introduce threads and then fail to elaborate upon them in a manner almost matching The Room in ineptitude. The generous two stars, given the criticism so far, remain because Jackson works dependably well and some of the bleakness of the Price's script and its outlook on racial tensions and police brutality land a few hefty blows suggesting the impossibility of underprivileged communities to ever reach peace with governing forces or the police. After this, though, especially with the unsatisfying and frankly asinine central conflict of child kidnapping, praise runs thin.

Decent aim, poor shot. The cast looks solid and the plot sounded interesting but the execution was lacking across the board in this case of squandered potential.

Great cast couldn't do much with this fil. Weaves an unlikely plot from two rather unsavory issues: child abduction and race relations. "Overacting" (Rotten Tomatoes review) is an apt description of the stars performances, with Julianne Moore's role being particularly so: as my attention began to wane toward the end, it seemed there was going to be a scene where she wasn't stuttering and crying, but no, she was on the verge again, was she going to do it!, the tears were coming - but cooler heads prevailed. Fland her character exited the scene. Not only that, but her character takes on this slightly awkward lower-class, white trash, East Coast accent that is not believable.

I think the writer knew what issues they wanted to tackle and then sold it to the actors. They then forgot they needed a story.

The angst the pathetic overt emotions. Too much for this old lady to handle. an old story which could have been interesting but oh dear.

didn't enjoy the characters in this movie, but, the actors did a good job

An overblown, hyper-melodramatic, convoluted mess of a movie. If the subject matter is not depressing enough, Julianne Moore's performance is the one of the worst cases of overacting I've ever seen. Samuel L. Jackson does his best to make his role meaningful and believable, and for the most part, he succeeds. Edie Falco is the best thing in the film. She's constrained and intelligent, in spite of the idiotic script she's been handed. The direction is clumsy, and cartoonish racial stereotypes abound. Some movies are depressing, but you forget them pretty quick. Kind of like spitting out something distasteful and moving on. This movie leaves a nasty taste that lingers. An entire bottle of mouthwash won't get rid of it. I can imagine moviegoers walking out of the theater when this film was over, looking at each other, and saying, "Good God, let's go get drunk." That's how depressing it is.

Good performances by an all-star cast, evan a 'human' performance by Samuel L Jackson! though I agree it was overzealous in it's race-conciousneess

Dont waste your time.

Ok movie just a bit slow

Freedomland is a heavy handed, overwrought look at racism on film. Is it believable... one would like to think not, but with what we see in the news, it seems quite possible. While I don't think the actors involved put forth their best performances, they were still better than a lot with Moore probably giving the best performance with a somewhat subdued Jackson not far behind. This is not a perfect film but I'd still recommend people give it a watch.

Ensure you can multi-task with other activities while watching this so you won't feel like you totally lost the cost of your time.

Good lord Julianne Moore's character is obnoxious in this! Jackson gives a great performance, instead of phoning it in like he usually does these days, he's quite intense. Interesting story where race inequality blows up into almost a riot after a white former junkie tells a stupid white lie to the cops. Ultimately, the story doesn't go far, and several subplots get dropped throughout, but it's still a pretty good watch.

Painful acting by Moore. I'm not a fan even on her good days. What IS her actual accent, I'll never know. PLEASE just speak normally and don't try to mimic an accent unto which you've not bothered to study or research. I promise, we'll get it. Disjointed movie from the get go,with no redeeming qualities. Mr. Jackson can't even save this flopper.l

One of the best films of the 2000's and Samuel L. Jackson most real performance

The power that drives the first two-thirds of "Freedomland" is something author Stephen King describes as "the gotta." Screenwriter Richard Price sets a fascinating plot in motion and you just gotta keep watching because you just gotta find out what happens next and you just gotta know how it ends. The mystery is absorbing, but unfortunately, the big reveal is botched and a lot less dramatic than it should be. The film is based in part on the real-life case of Susan Smith, and the writing is quite good as it not only focuses on the crime drama aspect but also deals directly with the racial tension caused by these accusations. Price has written some fine films over the years, and I would include this among them despite the reservations I had with the film's final act. Julianne Moore is at the center of the mystery, and her performance is the centerpiece of the film, at times heart-wrenching even when you know her motives cannot be trusted. It's a credit to the actor when you empathize with her character without really trusting her. Also good in a supporting performance is Edie Falco, head of a parent's group helping to locate Moore's missing boy. She is superb in the film's single best scene in which her conversation with Moore about her missing child subtly turns into a subversive attempt at getting a confession. "Freedomland" is a smart film that falters in the third act. There are some stunning performances and a terrific script, but the resolution doesn't feel as satisfying as it should.

A note to Julianne Moore, who may just as well be my favourite actress working today: I know you're capable of choosing much better films to express your talent in than this. I can't imagine seeing another performance which restricts your abilities as an actress once again like this.

Pretty bad movie. Slow, confusing plot, poor direction, overdramatic performances, mostly Moore.