"Freedomland" is a sober, unsettling drama that uses the framework of a police procedural to explore matters of individual madness and the collective madness of racism. Adapting his 1998 novel, Richard Price has fashioned a stripped-down, elegantly written tale that's topical without being heavy-handed. Joe Roth, in an impressive about-face from "Christmas With the Kranks," directs with a sure feel for the grief and resilience at the story's core.

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