Film Preview: Free State of Jones (2016)

Page Revisions:

(March 3, 2016) Original
(June 19, 2016) New Trailer (#2) / New Poster (#2)

Release Date:

June 24, 2016

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “As civil war divides the nation, a poor farmer from Mississippi leads a group of rebels against the Confederate army.”

Poster Rating: C- / D

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Review: (#1) I guess if you only want to sell your movie based on Matthew McConaughey’s presence, this is the way to do it. However, most people don’t care that he’s in it if they don’t know what it’s about. Are they afraid any connection to the Civil War or a past time period would put people off the film?

(#2) I suppose if you’re a McConaughey fan, this is all you need, but most of us want something more from our poster designs.

Trailer Rating: C+ / C

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Review: (#1) A conventionally made trailer with nothing that really stands out as distinctive. The story seems mildly compelling, but considering the response from people in the theater where I first saw it, “alright, alright, alright” is what they said, I have little faith it did much in the eyes of the average moviegoer.

(#2) The trailers become progressively more ego-driven, sacrificing theme to bolster the pompousness of McConaughey’s character. That aggressive charm of his might work for audiences who aren’t expecting something more deep, but to others, the suspension of disbelief becomes too great.

Oscar Prospects:

There will be two competing Civil War dramas in the Oscar competition this year and, from the looks of it, this may be the one that fails to register.