Good start, but then it gets ruined

Brilliant and touching

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Slavery, plantations and the fight for freedom are well documented and popular themes in many many films. 12 Years a Slave and Lincoln immediately spring to mind. So this is nothing new. Portraying this period of time is extremely saturated, so there cannot be any mediocrity. Unfortunately, Free State of Jones is just that. The true story of Newt Knight forming a rebellion against the confederacy in the 1860's. To ensure that all people are free and treated equally. A commendable and admirable man, choosing to fight for other people even if that means losing the ones closest to him. I can always find respect in people like Newt and sharing idealisms like his on film is important to show how far we have come as a society. The plot never feels preachy, it's told with good intentions and facts. Various photographs are embedded throughout with text to explain the historical events that followed. Matthew McConaughey looks the part, acts the part and becomes invested into his character. He really does steal every scene. The weak supporting characters assist in McConaughey's screen dominance but that's not always a good thing. I wasn't emotionally invested in any of the characters, at all. If a characters tragically meets their demise, there was no impact. I didn't feel anything and thus I was uninterested. Gary Ross' direction is fine albeit rather clinical and bland. The narrative was overstretched to 140 minutes when it didn't need to, we're talking nearly 10 years of confederacy rebellion. Why? The pace was ridiculously sluggish at points and the monotonous characters really did not help. The third act then starts to intertwine Newt's great grandson into the narrative who is wanting to get married but can't due to laws against interracial marriage. Yes, it shows that laws haven't changed but it felt so forced and unnecessary in order to showcase a point. All I can say is that the film is fine. It is bland mediocrity at its finest. Not bad but not great.

First they called them slaves. Then when that was outlawed they called them apprentice. Same thing. Just changed the name. Then when they outlawed that they took to hanging them. By the way, they are Democrats. And today they give them free food and money. Keep them depressed. And it works. They actually are siding with their oppressors. The Democrats don't care about black people. They just want their votes. And now they will do it with Illegal Immigrants. And the press covered for them then and they still do it today. When will it change?

Great movie, good acting, though if you don't have an interest in history or the civil war, or the south for that matter then this movie is entirely avoidable. It is good though.

Why was this film over looked? I had never heard of it until I came across a radio interview with Matthew Mcconaughey where he expressed his disappointment at the coming and going of this movie without much of a peep. I, for one, and in total agreement. It is a travesty.The acting across the board is superb, the pacing is good (often a bug bear of mine with many films being 20 mins too long) the story is gripping. I can imagine it was difficult to fit so much into a reasonable length of time but the Director/Editor achieved it.The violence is necessary but yet not gratuitous. The cinematography is spot on with a real authentic feel and the attention to detail seemed to me extremely high. A lot of work went into this movie and I hope that it finds it's audience through (legitmate) streaming services. I am very glad it was suggested to me when I logged in and glad I spent this evening viewing it.Spread the word!