Freelance - Movie Review
3"Freelance" (2023) directed by Pierre Morel actually managed to slightly exceed my expectations. At first glance this appears to be a disposable generic action film but it has a few unique things about it which make it a bit more than just that (Which it certainly still is don't get me wrong.)
Mason Pettits (John Cena) is an ex-American special forces soldier. His final mission was a failed one where his team was sent to assassinate a South American dictator, but everyone on his team was killed in a helicopter explosion. Mason is recruited by his old friend Sebastian Earle (Christian Slater) to be the personal bodyguard for a celebrity interviewer named Claire Wellington (Alison Brie), who has accepted a rare opportunity to interview the same dictator that Mason was once tasked with eliminating. President Venegas (Juan Pablo Raba) turns out to not be so bad after all, in fact he is trying his best to push his people in a prosperous direction but the corporations want the minerals in his lands and so there is a coup against him which Mason must choose to help out with or not.
Freelance exceeded my expectations because it was R-rated and knew exactly how to please it's target audience. While the chemistry between the trio isn't entirely there in my opinion, I liked each of the three characters as individuals quite a bit and actually cared about them and their survival. I've always had a massive crush on Alison Brie and she has been doing a ton of nudity in recent years, and I'm happy to report this one is a fan pleaser in that area as well. While all the actors were great, Juan Pablo Raba in particular was the star here and really carried the film.
Freelance is not as disposable as I thought, but it still carries the faults that most movies in this genre have. The personal life backstory for Mason is not effective because the film constantly tells us he's a bad father who's not suited for regular life, but Mason's actions and heroics completely contradict that and he seems like a great father and person to me overall. There is unfortunately not that much humor here, and one of the jokes is that Mason is not a "real lawyer," but to me, yes he is, so again, the illogical contradictions continue. Mason's wife is wanting to divorce Mason but by the end of the film she suddenly loves him again and never wanted to separate, which again, makes no sense and is contradictory.
Freelance is popcorn fun with three great lead actors. It's not a must watch but it won't disappoint you if you do decide to see it.
Video by Rainy Nights.
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