Thought I was going to be taking a long, much needed, and probably permanent break from writing about/reviewing movies, but I’ll pop my head back in here for a quick second to talk about this one. Definitely not the feel-good flick of the year. Not since checking out A Clockwork Orange a little over two years ago now can I recall a film that made me feel this much like crap while watching it. It’s mercifully not explicit with its depictions of pedophilia, yet the allusions to, insinuations, or instances where it cuts away right as the unspeakable is about to happen are enough to make for a rough viewing that will leave you seriously messed up by the time the credits roll. Which is a great thing because that’s exactly what it should do given the subject matter.  Enough about that kind of stuff though. I didn’t start typing away on this site again to go on about how this has shockingly great productions values and direction for a release from a “faith-based” studio, or how Jim Caviezel’s performance as a man tormented by what his job has exposed him comes off as more wooden than damaged. I wanted to give my two cents on the big issue surrounding Sound of Freedom’s existence: the absolute flood of bullcrap coming from BOTH SIDES of the political spectrum. And that’s all it is, bullcrap. Seems I can’t Google this without a thousand articles popping up trying to bury the thing as a conspiracy theory for its ties to Christianity, and then there’s the conservative half praising it as the second coming of their Christ because of what “the left” is saying. So who’s right? Honestly couldn’t tell you. Guess you’ll have to find out for yourself. And that’s exactly what I encourage you to do. Make no mistake, there are people out there actively trying their hardest to get you to not watch this. That should always tell you something. My recommendation is that you try to leave your biases at the door, go see it, and form your own opinion. There is a discussion around this film being had right now, and it’s an important one worth having. Not just because of the topic at the center of its plot either. Whether you love, hate, or fall somewhere in between on the experience, don’t let some other voice on it define your view. When something with this much controversy of this nature comes out, I’d say it’s absolutely necessary to get to the theater and come to your own conclusions. As such, it may not be the most traditionally enjoyable movie of the year, but it might very well be the most important. Now, back into retirement I go.