FREEHELD

Freeheld is a very society-relevant drama centred around Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore), a New Jersey police detective that learns of her diagnosis with lung cancer, and struggles to have her domestic partner, Stacie (Ellen Page), made beneficiary for her pension.

A true story that had the resources and foundation to be a noble masterpiece, but instead fell into a political speech pageant, aimed at an audience who already concurs. There are strong performances from the leads in the film, but little to propagate an ongoing connection to the characters soon after their introduction.

It seems to have highlighted the politics (which in itself falls short fairly fast) instead of sending a political message through a tender narrative about two people in an important, pertinent situation. Steve Carrel’s role was superfluous from his unveiling, and he distracted from the tone of the film––using the excuse of comic relief, in a story where the relief craved, was from justice. (RM)

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BY ROCIO BELLA MENDEZ