139 minutes, Biography Drama
It feels a long time ago since we last saw Matthew McConaughey star in a lead role. And it takes very little time to remember why we’ve missed the A-grade actor on the big screen. McConaughey simply anchors FREE STATE OF JONES, giving a finely attuned performance portraying real-life figure Newton Knight, whom this film is inspired by. During the American Civil War in Jones County of Mississippi in the year 1862, Newton – known as a deserter (military terminology for someone abandoning post without authority) – forms an armed rebellion of slaves that have escaped captivity along with other fellow deserters, whose cause together is to fight the Confederacy.
FREE STATE OF JONES is worth a watch, purely due to the work of McConaughey and the unyielding goodwill & bravery constantly at the fore from his titular character. These strongest aspects of this war drama earn it the care that Knight’s tale deserves, even though a laborious and sometimes difficult to distinguish narrative mount a challenge to ones concentration and commitment throughout an overly generous running time. Seemingly placed here as an attempt to modernise this project, a relevant and also true sub-plot (taking place more than 80 years into the future!) is abruptly interjected into the film screenplay that never quite manages to successfully integrate itself with the rest of FREE STATE OF JONES. And to be fairly honest, this sub-plot actually deserves much more than that. Hopefully it gets the green light for a feature film of its own someday. Nevertheless, the aforementioned goods, the true events depicted and the thematic ground being covered are likely to moderately engage audiences. Especially those who like a solid biographical film.
3 out of 5
MA15+ – Strong themes and violence
Moviedoc wishes to thank StudioCanal and Village Cinemas Crown for the invite to the Media Screening of FREE STATE OF JONES.
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