Freelance
Short Take: The phrase comes from the film industry, originally, and it means a short bit of recording or “something that only takes a short time,” especially if a longer version may be done later.
Short Take review: A short review of a film with potential discussion points
⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5)
Summary: Mason Pettits (John Cena) was living his dream and was assigned to the Delta Force of the US Army until one mission brought an end to that career. He did go on to become a lawyer, but this only left the former soldier feeling lost and hollow. As his marriage and family life are falling apart, Mason gets a call from his former commander Sebastian Earle (Christian Slater). He offers his friend a special one-off assignment to protect the journalist Claire Wellington (Alison Brie) as she goes to the South American country of Paldonia to interview the morally questionable President Venegas (Juan Pablo Raba). Yet, upon arrival a coup occurs and Mason must do all he can to protect Claire and the president from the rebels who want to take over the country.
Review: After reading the description, readers may think the latest from Taken director Pierre Morel is this year’s latest action adventure. Yet, Freelance is more comedy than action, even though John Cena does provide enough action to satisfy that portion of the crowd. The script is predictable and has a paint-by-numbers feel to it. Still, enough twists and turns help those seeking a mindless trip into the South American jungle. Also, Mason Pettits is written with enough moral fibre in his soul to seek reconciliation with his wife and to find purpose in his life once again. An element that lifts this from forgettable to an acceptable choice for your streaming option in the weeks ahead.
Reel Dialogue: Loyalty to family and country
Loyalty is fascinating and confusing, defined as being faithful to something. People will put their money, careers, and lives on the line for loyalty to family, friends, or countries. In Freelance, this topic is treated with humour but finds its value in most of the character’s lives.
It begs the question, why do we choose to be loyal or faithful to someone else? It is rooted in wanting to place an implicit trust in the person we put our faith in and knowing that this loyalty will be reciprocated. The Bible unpacks a deeper meaning to the idea of loyalty. What can be seen is that God is the only one completely faithful. He is faithful even when his followers are faithless. The thing to consider is that with mankind, loyalty can be fleeting, but with God, we can find absolute loyalty and someone true to their word.
Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. - Proverbs 21:21
