Freeway


3/4

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Kiefer Sutherland, Dan Hedaya, Brooke Shields, Bokeem Woodbine

Rated R for Strong Lurid Violence and Sexual Dialogue, Some Sexual Situations, Drug Content, and Language

If nothing else, you have to admire “Freeway” for its balls.  This is a severely warped and twisted thriller that is likely to disturb and offend most people who watch it.  Writer/director Matthew Bright knows this, and he doesn't pull any punches.  Had he tried to soften anything in this movie, the film wouldn’t have packed its brutal punch.

Vanessa Lutz (Witherspoon) does not have an easy life.  Her mother is a prostitute, her stepfather is a drug addict and a child molester, and at age 16, she’s just now learning to read.  But when her parents get busted, she escapes from foster care and goes to stay with the grandmother she’s never met.  On the way, her car breaks down and she’s picked up by a seemingly nice guy named Bob Wolverton (Sutherland).  Unfortunately for her, he’s the I-5 killer.

“Freeway” is an R-rated version of Little Red Riding Hood (at least in a superficial way).  Vanessa is Red, Bob is the wolf, and Grandma is, well, Grandma.  Don’t think for a second that this film is for kids, because it’s not.  It was originally rated NC-17, but even after a few trims, it’s still as hard an R rating as one can find.  This is a very violent, dark and disturbing tale.  It is also, at times, quite funny.

Almost all of the successes of the film have to do with the brilliant performances by its stars.  Reese Witherspoon has always been a great actress, whether it’s playing a naive sixteen-year-old being unwittingly taken advantage of by an obsessive boyfriend (“Fear”), or playing a high values rich girl who falls in love with the school’s notorious Lothario (“Cruel Intentions”).  In “Freeway,” Witherspoon gives her best performance as the brash Vanessa.  She doesn’t trust anyone (except her boyfriend, Chopper, played by Bokeem Woodbine), and the only thing that matters to her is her own survival; anyone who gets in her way deserves what they get, and that includes Bob.

As Bob Wolverton, Sutherland matches his young co-star, but this is her show.  Sutherland uses his smooth voice to get Vanessa to spill her life story and to trust her, but he underestimates the little firecracker…and pays a hefty price for it.  He’s kind of creepy, but he’s also pathetic, and Sutherland hits all the right notes.

Matthew Bright has an agenda with this movie, and he keeps his satirical blade sharp.  He satirizes the prison system, media relations, foster care, and other targets that he feels need to be cut down to size.  Although sometimes it’s unclear what he’s going for at times, the film still works on its own level.

Don’t get me wrong.  This film is definitely not for everyone.  But for those who are willing to take the chance, it’s a bizarre bit of fun.

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