Forumrxes
Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.
kevinsteele21
Absolutely loved this film . I know there is some inaccuracies as there is with Hollywood movies but what it has done for me , is it has made me look more into this period . I can't believe the professional critics views on this movie . Of all the movies about this period that have been made this is by far my best . Matthew is great when he's in the more darker roles
ghcheese
First they called them slaves. Then when that was outlawed they called them apprentice. Same thing. Just changed the name. Then when they outlawed that they took to hanging them. By the way, they are Democrats. And today they give them free food and money. Keep them depressed. And it works. They actually are siding with their oppressors. The Democrats don't care about black people. They just want their votes. And now they will do it with Illegal Immigrants. And the press covered for them then and they still do it today. When will it change?
davideo-2
STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning As the American civil war draws to a close, Commander Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) defects from the Confederacy, his soul and spirit battered by the horrors and atrocities he has witnessed, fighting for a cause he doesn't believe in and has no stake in. He returns home to his family a broken man, but finds salvation by heading out and joining a group of freed slaves, headed by the charismatic Moses (Mahershala Ali) who are fighting for their rights, and they rise up and form an army against their oppressors, while Newton has an affair with Rachel (Gugu Mbatha-Raw.) Eighty five years later, their grandchild sits in a courtroom battling his right to marry a white woman in the State of Louisiana...In a time where various film academies are being cajoled into recognising the talent of black performers more than they have, and black rights activists are using historical injustices to highlight present culture (the recent Detroit being probably the most brazen example!), a film like Free State of Jones finds a nice little bubble to fall comfortably in to. But, unlike much of the hysterical, exaggerated hand wringing and hyperbole that has surfaced in the midst of it all, Gary Ross has crafted a smooth, subtle, balanced piece, that avoids sensationalism and paints a genuinely rattling, highly absorbing film, that covers every inch of the ground it explores, and keeps you engrossed until the end.Performances wise, in the lead role, McConaughey is probably better than he has ever been, carrying the film superbly and delivering a broader range as an actor than he ever has before. He portrays a man who discovers his own character and is unable to let it go, at a time in American history where most others are blindly following along like sheep. But he still has an amazing supporting cast, most notably Ali as Moses, a man who has suffered tremendous indignity, but refuses to let go of his own dignity, as he goes on his noble quest, only to be met with an emotionally shattering conclusion. The performances and the writing are both perfectly balanced, and they compliment each other just fine.At a time when diversity is taking an arguably more aggressive means of instilling itself, here's a project that has the integrity to stand on it's own. How surprising, then, that it got such less attention. ****
alindsay-al
The premise of this movie really interested me so I gave it a watch and all I was say was I was really bored watching this film and this is one of the biggest wastes of potential in recent memory. The premise of the film sees a man fed up of the Confederacy creates his own army to take them on. Mathew McConaughey plays the lead in this film and he does an excellent job in this film, he gives an emotionally charged performance that sells that he truly Cares about this role. He also gives a strong performance to make you believe in him as the leader in this group. Mahershala Ali is in this film and he is great, he is building a resume as a truly brilliant actor. His character is very strong and I did like his friendship with McConaughey and how it grows throughout the film. Gugu mbatha-raw plays a slave in this film and she does a good job in the film especially when provoking the emotion of her situation. Everybody else in this film though plays cliché stereotypes and I really didn't care about them in any way even keri Russell who isn't really given much to do in this film. The story on paper sounds really cool but actually it really isn't, it is very bland as the film slowly goes through to build this society but you really don't care because the film has bored you so much and really doesn't go far enough with its subject matter. The script has so much drama in it but I didn't find any of it to be memorable or help make me care which means it was a failure. The style has some pretty entertaining action scenes and while they are happening they are fun to watch. But this films pacing is horrendous as it feels like such a drag and having to sit through this movie which is way to long. Overall this film is one of the most dull films I have seen in recent memory and is just not very entertaining.
