Freedom (2014)
Two men separated by 100 years are united in their search for freedom. In 1856 a slave, Samuel Woodward and his family, escape from the Monroe Plantation near Richmond, Virginia. A secret network of ordinary people known as the Underground Railroad guide the family on their journey north to Canada. They are relentlessly pursued by the notorious slave hunter Plimpton. Hunted like a dog and haunted by the unthinkable suffering he and his forbears have endured, Samuel is forced to decide between revenge or freedom. 100 years earlier in 1748, John Newton the Captain of a slave trader sails from Africa with a cargo of slaves, bound for America. On board is Samuel's great grandfather whose survival is tied to the fate of Captain Newton. The voyage changes Newton's life forever and he creates a legacy that will inspire Samuel and the lives of millions for generations to come.
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Simply A Masterpiece
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.
If you give points for trying and for a very sad and engaging basic idea this movie is trying to pull off, you might be more loose with it. And even think more of the movie than I did. And don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the movie, I gave it some extra points for trying, but not as many as some other on IMDb. And it's nice to see Cuba Gooding Jr. in a more serious role. He's a former Academy Award winner for crying out loud.The acting is OK and the "story" moves on quite nicely, if at a slow pace at times. Handling slavery (no pun intended) and the story of those involved is never easy. Especially when it comes to an escape story too. This is based on real characters (one of the best things is in the end credits, when we get to know who was who and what they did), so you can give it Kudos for that too. Other movies have handled the nature of the movie better of course and more dramatic
The premise of the movie was to show that there is redemption in believing. Cuba Gooding Jr overacts again. Sharon Leal in underused. The story centered around John Newton, slave trader, singer, poet and writer of Amazing Grace, and a family trying to escape from slavery in the South to Freedom in the North. The story could have been so much more nail-biting. I found it unbelievable and rather weird that the leads broke into song at the most inappropriate times. The story is loosely based on fact and the introduction of the true heroes of days gone by is probably enough to make the film worth a watch. Overall-disappointing.
This is the worst movie I've seen in a long time, Faith and religion are persistently rammed down your throat throughout the movie. The 2 stories were disjointed and i felt arbitrarily linked.I don't understand why they choose to what seemed like worshiping John Newton (the captain of the ship delivering the slaves), it was like they were saying that he saved them by giving them his Bible but yet he still delivered his cargo of slaves which i feel conflicts with the intended purpose of the movie. Its like saying slavery is sufferable if you have religion.The characters were unconvincing, simple and predictable with scenes that were so over dramatic it was cringe worthy.
Based on actual events, this period drama ticks all the boxes for acting, cinematography, set design, script and direction. It is a well- produced, emotive tale that looks like it came straight from Hollywood and proves once and for all, that faith based films don't have to be sub-standard. While the film leans heavily on the themes of faith and the freedom that comes from believing in God, it is not contrived. It's because the era and the real life characters, on which the film was based, truly behaved as such. Ultimately the lessons of the film would be that men may shackle your limbs but they cannot shackle your soul. Sin may bind your heart but God can set it free.While it is rated M for Australian viewers, my 13 year old loved it and it opened her eyes about the terrible history of slavery. In addition, the audience is reminded that there are more people trafficked and bound in slavery today, than at any other time in the history of mankind.