Film Review: ‘The Road to Freedom’ Doesn’t Feel Authentic

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CHICAGO – The story of Sean Flynn – son of the legendary Errol Flynn, perpetrator of B-movies in the early 1960s, game warden in Kenya and finally war correspondent during the Vietnam conflict – would rate enough material for a 10-hour mini-series. Only his disappearance is covered in “The Road to Freedom.”

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.5/5.0
Rating: 2.5/5.0

Flynn, who famously first came to light during a vicious custody battle between his mother Lili Damita and father Errol Flynn, probably deserves a better narrative treatment than the soft soap that is “The Road to Freedom.” He is written and portrayed rather blandly, and the road he does travel as a reporter in war-torn Cambodia is paved with what looks like the same five soldiers of the Khmer Rouge regime.

Joshua Fredric Smith portrays Flynn, who is characterized by his roguish looks and reporter’s instinct. It is learned that he will go the extra mile to get the story, and his photos and writings have appeared in Time Magazine, the UPI and Paris-Match. On April 7, 1970, Flynn and photojournalist Dana Stone (Scott Maguire) rode their motorcycles into the Cambodian war zone to what they thought was an abandoned roadblock. It was there that they were presumably captured (although official reports are vague).

Forced into isolation, they are harassed and starved. It is only through a sympathetic Cambodian family man, Lim Po (Nhem Sokun), also in custody, that they might find a means to escape. Throughout the rest of the ordeal Flynn and Stone are marked men, and despite the help from their in-country ally, they disappear and are never heard from again.

“The Road to Freedom” continues its limited release in Chicago beginning October 3rd. See local listings for theaters and show time. Featuring Joshua Fredric Smith, Scott Maguire, Tom Proctor and Nhem Sokun. Screenplay by Margie Rogers, directed by Brendan Moriarty. Rated “PG-13”

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Road to Freedom”

Joshua Fredric Smith as Sean Flynn and Scott Maguire as Dana Stone  in ‘The Road to Freedom’
Joshua Fredric Smith as Sean Flynn and Scott Maguire as Dana Stone in ‘The Road to Freedom’
Photo credit: bajan Vista Productions

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Road to Freedom”

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