Overview
Matthew McConaughey has been called quite a few things over the course of his career, but understated isn't often one of them. Whether he's grinning in one of the many rom-coms on his resume, gyrating in Magic Mike, or claiming that time is a flat circle in True Detective, he's the kind of actor that tends to make his presence known. But while that still proves the case in civil war drama Free State of Jones, what's most noticeable about McConaughey's efforts here isn't what he does, but what he doesn't do. As a conscripted Confederate medic who decides to desert his post, his portrayal here is far less flashy than we're used to.
Of course, McConaughey's approach to playing real-life figure Newton Knight suits the movie he's in: a lengthy, slow-moving drama that's eager to stress the importance of its little-known true tale. If McConaughey displays a much more restrained brand of his usual charm, it's because writer-director Gary Ross (The Hunger Games) is determined to make the film as solemn as possible. Unfortunately, in doing so, the end result feels rather bland.
Tired of seeing soldiers put their lives on the line for a cause that rewards the rich, Knight heads home to Mississippi while the conflict still rages. He's quickly labelled a deserter, hunted by the army and forced to hide out in swampland in Jones County – events that fuel his rebellion not just against the war and slavery, but against the government's excessive taxation of local farms. As word of his crusade spreads, others join his fight, sparking a new battle for equality between opposing factions of the Confederacy.
Cue all the expected speeches about freedom and fairness, in a film that endeavours to highlight the varying levels of injustice and disillusionment that continue to haunt the United States to this day. And yet, though it does just that, there's no mistaking Free State of Jones' comfortable, cautious perspective. As Knight bands together with runaway slaves and falls for the kindly Rachel (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the film remains content to focus on what these developments say about its hero. The words 'white saviour' aren't uttered, but they'll definitely pop into your mind.
Given that Ross plays it safe with his story, and tasks McConaughey with doing the same with his performance, it's hardly surprising that the film looks the same as it feels. Knight and his fellow characters might get muddy and bloody, but there's little that's untidy about the way the decidedly muted movie is put together. Here, a polished but decidedly mediocre narrative gets an aesthetic to match, and proves all the less powerful for it. That many of Free State of Jones' most interesting details are conveyed as text on screen says plenty about the finished film.
