Directed by: Mark Garvey Written by: - Genre: Documentary |
The Freedoms
A documentary film crew led by Mark Garvey follows two brothers, Callum and Simon, as they attempt to complete what are dubbed as the Freedoms. Once complete, the Freedoms promise to reveal an unfinished masterpiece from the mysterious Hettie Entwhistle, who has some kind of connection with the brother's deceased father.
The catalyst of this film is actually a woman named Kitty Von Abrams, who Callum tracks down as he's searching for answers regarding the ominous Hettie Entwistle. When going through his father's things, Callum finds a picture of Hettie, setting off the chain of events that make up this film. It's quickly made clear that Hettie is basically the Indiana Jones of her time and has significantly impacted the world as we know it. It's also revealed that she was, became a secretive recluse. Kitty Von Abrams claims to be the woman to see if you want to know anything about Hettie and that knowledge instantly entices Callum, who in turn enlists his brother and the film crew. The brothers are not that close as Callum is more the live in the moment and screw things up kind of guy; Simon is the straight-laced one with a seemingly perfect life. When the two finally gather the film crew at Kitty's request, the real adventure begins. The freedoms can only be attempted once and must be completed. The rules are to be followed by the letter, and if completed, all will be revealed. The film itself is put together well, with Mark Garvey playing The Freedoms off as if it were 100% true. It's not. This film falls into the mockumentary category, but at first, you would never know it. For some people, they may never realize it. It's made up of interviews with everyone from Callum and Simon to Kitty and the film crew. It all looks pretty legit, but more importantly, it's pretty entertaining to follow along with. As the brothers (Yes, I said brothers and not brother) complete their tasks, I was left rooting for the big, enlightening ending that wasn't quite what I hoped it would be. Still, the film is entertaining, funny, and even dramatic enough to carry you through its long-ish length. Some movies are meant to be taken seriously or take themselves too seriously. This isn't one of them. The exploits of these traveling dill-berries are fun and entertaining, even though you'll eventually realize it's 100% fiction. Four out of five stars for this one. A pleasant surprise. |
