Scott Adams, in his book “Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel”, talks about sad movies as being a bad idea. You’re actively seeking out a way to feel bad, and what sense does that make? If you’re one of those people who sees sense in it, though, “Freedomland” is exactly what you need.
“Freedomland” presents a young woman, recently found murdered, now only lives on in the heart of a man about to die. And as he relates the story of her final days–and to a lesser extent the story of his own final days–the trivialities and vagaries and tragedies and, yes, even a few triumphs, of life come into sharp relief.
The words “poignant” and “stirring” come to mind here, and for once they’re not just banal trivialities chucked around by halfassed hack critics who can’t think of anything better to say. Underscored by a background music score–and yes, for once in a great while the music is actually worth mentioning–the details of these two lives that could have made something amazing or even something terrifying if they’d been allowed to stay welded together longer than they were is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
What happened in “Freedomland” was sad enough. What might have been in “Freedomland” makes you even sadder for the thought. And if sad movies are your thing, then “Freedomland” is exactly what you’ve been looking for.
