Free in Deed

Free in Deed is an American drama film released in 2015. It is directed by Jake Mahaffy and stars David Harewood, Edwina Findley, and RaJay Chandler. The movie delves into the complicated, harsh realities of faith, spirituality, and the human condition, wrapped up in a narrative driven by the practice of faith healing within a marginal community in Memphis, Tennessee.

The gripping story centers around Abe Wilkins (David Harewood), a middle-aged, introverted man who works as a janitor by day and serves as a faith healer in a local storefront church during his free time. Despite his seemingly mundane routine, Abe battles his internal struggles; his desperate attempt to reconcile his faith and reality forms the crux of the film.

David Harewood’s performance expertly captures the complexity and intensity of Abe's character. He portrays the character as a troubled yet compassionate man trying to negotiate his faith under the incessant weight of human suffering and personal failures.

In contrast to Abe's internal struggles, we meet Melva (Edwina Findley), a single mother trying her hardest to provide for her kids. Her son, Benny (RaJay Chandler), suffers from a chronic, undiagnosed illness, which often leads to unpredictable and dangerous behaviour. Stricken by the hardship of being a single parent to an ailing child, Melva is also a victim of the limited resources available to her in her community.

Edwina Findley brilliantly portrays the desperation, solitude, and undying maternal instinct of Melva, injecting an authentic dimension of humanity into her character. The relationship between Melva and her unruly yet vulnerable son Benny, aptly captured by RaJay Chandler, brings to light the depths of a mother's love and resilience.

Feeling helpless and seeking divine intervention, Melva seeks help from Abe, the local faith healer. What transpires between Abe, struggling with his faith and calling, and Melva, desperate to secure help for her son, forms the rest of this haunting narrative. The film is heavy and can be emotionally arduous for the viewer, but it is equally potent and complex, furnishing a stark depiction of faith within the framework of human adversity and desperation.

Though the film is defined as a drama, it gracefully straddles the murky line between a psychological thriller and a social commentary. Free in Deed isn’t just about faith. It examines how society often fails its most vulnerable members, with both main characters existing on the margins, failed by the systems intended to protect and assist them.

The film’s greatest triumph is its capacity to create a realistic and human depiction of faith. In Free in Deed, faith manifests itself not through grand miracles or revelations, but through the struggle of everyday life, through clinging onto hope when there seems none left, through the desperate prayers of a mother and the quiet torment of a man assigned with divine powers.

Director Jake Mahaffy has done an exceptional job capturing this dynamic. The cinematography further adds depth and texture to the storyline. The use of hues and lights, alongside the striking depiction of Memphis landscapes, contributes an almost ethereal atmosphere to the narrative, cleverly symbolizing the spiritual undertones of the storyline.

The film's ambiance is one of its strongest aspects, and the movie scores well in the sound department with a blend of raw, ambient noises and a minimalistic score, which magnifies the film's emotive pressure and haunting contours.

Free in Deed has also garnered recognition across various platforms. It claimed the Best Film in the Horizons section at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival and received three Independent Spirit Award nominations, cementing its grip in the independent cinema industry.

In conclusion, Free in Deed is a gut-wrenching panorama of faith, suffering, and the human condition. Its slow-burn narrative steeped in melancholy and desperation is a profound meditation on faith and society’s glaring inadequacies, making it more than just another drama flick. With its power-packed performances and riveting storyline, Free in Deed is a cinematic tour de force that offers a candid, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking exploration of faith’s place in the face of adversity.