I've never heard the phrase, "Let go, let God" in the movies before. So when I heard this from the lips of Samuel L. Jackson in Freedomland, a movie riding on the social sensitivities of films like Crash no doubt, it was strange to say the least.

The movie revolves around investigations of a missing boy and the tensions caused by the fact that he's white and his alleged abductors black. You've got a black cop trying to solve a case and prevent all-out rioting between white cops and a black neighbourhood they locked down to ferret out the culprit. You've got a distraught not-quite-there mother whose story doesn't feel entirely right. Throw in the tempers flaring up on all sides and of course you've got a very intense movie portraying themes like parental responsibility, community cohesion, peace-making (within a racial context) and - unique among mainstream productions - the question of a personal loving all-providing god (and not merely about the existence of some "transcendent Meta-Being").

Not that the movie is any distance from an 'R' rating - it's got at least two dozen strongly emphasized 'F'-words and a fair amount of violence (though not much gore).

Julianne Moore's acting was so believable I was repulsed somewhat by her character which undoubtedly stood out. That she played a teacher (and a very good one, too) probably caused some unwanted resonance with my background. Jackson's compassion, confused but verbally tough role, however, won't win him any more fans than those who prefer his super-cool symbolisms in Shaft, Pulp Fiction and so on.

Not your average detective thriller, ironically making Freedomland more worth watching and thinking through, especially on the issue on what true freedom is all about. I think Scott Rudin was trying to say that you're only really free if you really love. But hey maybe that's my theology talking.

If nothing else it serves as good distraction from the talking points on how England, and for that matter Argentina even, will need a considerably makeover if they're going to look like world champions.