Sunday, July 10, 2016

Free State of Jones

(2016, Gary Ross)

Much anticipated film about the life of Union Sympathizer Newton Knight and his attempt to create a unique place (the Free State of Jones) in Confederate Mississippi during and immediately after the War Betwixt the States.

Matthew McConaughey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw put in decent performances in this wildly inaccurate and poorly constructed film by Gary Ross.  The flash forward to the 20th Century and the use of title cards and junky editing weigh heavily on this movie.

Unless you are a huge MM fan and like seeing the same Louisiana locations you have seen plenty in Django:Unchained; Into the Badlands; 12 Years a Slave and elsewhere; or just have a hankerin' for period costumes and weapons or like fancy Mules-- avoid this sad and mostly boring film.

Trailer