Freetown

I really can't understand why this movie "Freetown" rates so poorly here on IMDb although I do suspect that the poor rating might have something to do with the common (mis)perception among most people about the Mormon Church and those who follow the Mormon faith. I saw that at least one reviewer here said that the movie was nothing more than two hours of Mormon propaganda.

Some years ago, I was associated with the Mormon faith through some very good friends. I was introduced to the tenets of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but I didn't feel able to make the spiritual commitment to the Church that is required. Nonetheless, I will say that I found that everyone associated with the Church to be just the nicest and the most honest people I've ever met.

With that background, I thought "Freetown" a good movie. Not a great one by any means but very watchable and with the benefit of its being a true story. The movie is well produced, well acted for the most part, with a good and believable script and with some quite lovely cinematography.

The portrayal of the young Missionaries in "Freetown" was just as I have come to believe such people to be. Not a group that seeks to shove their ideology down the throats of other people; rather just decent and good people who wish only to help others to have happier lives. Despite its currently poor rating or 4.7, "Freetown" is definitely worth seeing.

JMV.

This afternoon I saw an "advanced screening" of this gripping true story of six black African LDS (Mormon) missionaries' harrowing efforts to get safely out of Monrovia at the beginning of the 1989 Liberian civil war. The soundtrack is fresh and appropriate, the actors are excellent and the African locations give the production a very authentic look and feel. The direction is very tight and kept me on the edge of my seat up to the very end. The action is tense and dramatic, but I agree with other reviewers who have noted that there is just enough humor to give your nerves a rest from time-to-time. Although elements of their missionary purpose and religion play an obvious role in their escape attempt the protagonists do not engage in preachy dialog. In fact, just the opposite. I felt genuine anguish with several of the characters as they confronted their fears and doubts in very dangerous circumstances beyond their control. This is one of the best films (of any kind) that I have seen recently and I strongly recommend it!

Firstly the film put me to sleep, not a good start. I woke up the next day and tried to watch the rest. There's a few scenes in the film which offer suspense and the aspects of the Liberian civil war we see are quite dramatic, however this is not an action film. There are some scenes of action which are necessary to drive the plot and provide the reasons by which a small group of men must flee. However these are widely dispersed and the predominant point of the film is to deliver some fairly tedious messages of faith.

It may have done better if it were possible to understand how Khran can be identified as they're hunted. It may have been better if it'd explained why the missionaries hadn't just taken off their shirts and ties and blended in.

An unexciting story on the whole, combined with some awful acting. I hope that some of the money that this film might make has gone to enrich the lives of those without much. If it wasn't for the exceptional camera work and fascinating views of Liberia I'd have rated this a two.

I started watching this film with a bottle of wine and some pizza. I wasn't expecting a chick flick but I was expecting something entertaining. By the time I'd finished the pizza I had forgotten the film was playing so I tried again but this time the dog distracted me. It was an impossible film to concentrate on as the characters were shallow and the plot was almost non-existent, or maybe it was so slow its progress could be measured in glacier time. Other than the mud I can't remember much other that some God bothering. It really is a terrible and boring film. Do yourself a favour and stick pins in your eyes instead.

You don't have to be Mormon or live in Salt Lake City or anywhere in Utah to enjoy this beautifully made film. The other great thing is it's based on reality. The music is breathtaking also. You just have to be thankful for people who are living their faith in the face of great adversity and can still manage to smile and show great friendship to one another. It's nice when a movie slows down a bit in spots to ponder the complexities of the situation. In doing that, this film emphasizes the drama, emotion, and difficulties these people lived through every day and the formidable decisions they and their loved ones had to make in order to survive. It's not a stuffy or prolonged movie at all, it was comical as well as full of depth. We actually couldn't stop watching it and didn't want to pause it when our phone rang. The rich music and singing made you feel you were actually in Africa. It really lent itself to the cultural beauty of the people and the area. We gave it 8 stars because movies like this are what we need to see coming from the film industry right now. We could all use more faith....faith in God, our families, friends and each other.