Sweet Liberty

I have seen this film several times and on the most recent viewing, I noticed a continuity goof. Alan Alda's character Michael Burgess reads the Hollywood-ized script that has "not been taken" from his book and is outraged at the changes and historical inaccuracies. He spends the entire movie trying to make things right again, even going so far as to sabotage the filming. But then at the end, Michael accosts the director Bo Hodges and blithely apologizes for what he's done. If Michael Burgess is so outraged all through the film, why does he suddenly recant and apologize for his actions at the very end? He seems to be indecisive. This jolted me a little, but did not diminish my enjoyment of this otherwise fine film and its gentle comedy. It's well worth seeing.

He's pushed around by his dotty mother, by his alleged girlfriend Gretchen, by the screenwriter Stanley, the director Bo, and by the leading man played by Michael Caine. There isn't one time Alda's character stands up for himself and sticks to it. His scenes with Gretchen are 100 percent blab and 0 percent chemistry. At the end of the movie, after he has just learned that Gretchen had been sleeping with Michael Caine, she tells him that she's willing to marry him for eight months, "with an option for four more." Rather than telling her to get lost, he is overjoyed and hugs her. The movie has sharp things to say about the Hollywood movie-making process. But that for me was overshadowed by my annoyance at Alda's character. Only twice in the movie does he grow a pair, but at the end of the story he is back to being a wimp again. My girlfriend Carolyn has an opinion even harsher than I -- she rates "Sweet Liberty" even lower than _Mummy's Kiss_, a soft-* film with Ed Woods-quality bad writing. Score: 3 out of 10 from me; 1/10 from Carolyn.

To the list of satires on Hollywood we can add Alan Alda's "Sweet Liberty". He plays a history professor whose novel about the Revolutionary War is getting filmed in his town. Except that because this is a Hollywood production, they've pretty much ignored his book, instead pandering to audiences' lowest and stupidest preferences! And sure enough, the people involved in the production make excessive demands every step of the way. OK, so we could make the argument that this is sillier than the stuff for which Alda is usually known. I counter by saying that this is his own swipe at the studio system that dominates entertainment in the US. He grew up in the Hollywood system, so he probably saw it firsthand. My favorite scenes in the movie were the helicopter ride and the final battle scene. I suspect that they had fun filming the entire movie. This is exactly what patriotism should be! Since Michael Caine and Michelle Pfeiffer co-star, I guess that means that Alfred got to meet the other Catwoman (if we identify people by their Batman roles).

This is one of the funniest movies that utilized the irony between truth and fiction through the eternal clash between history and art; to present an enjoyable comedy which mocks at both! Look at the movie's point of view out of its own cosmos: history is unknown, since nobody reads in the image's age. Cinema is just a lie to make a thrilling time, whether history is damaged or not; to create the artistic "lying" version of it. Movie stars are sick people after that creative lying sneaked into them, from their work to their daily behaviors, to become whether unfaithful to their wives (Michael Caine), or at least schizophrenic (Michelle Pefiffer). The director is a cat's-paw in the hands of a giant studio that wants nothing but money and down with the credibility. So, the writer becomes the last man standing, or the last honorable worrier for the truth; which turns him into the enemy. Consequently, he finds that the only heroic solution is to deal randomly and impudently, like all the others, to achieve just one thing he believes in, by the way he exactly wants. To grow eventually - despite all of his pure idealistic principles - into one of the liars, and a shield in the machine of cinema, not history, as the last shot reveals to us sarcastically; where (Alan Alda) listens to the TV reporter and her question about "the secret of his movie's success" to find no answer but smiling with vanity, or as a ridicule of everything! This movie is hilarious, however so believable. The performance was flawless. In fact, the whole cast was great to an extent where you got to feel how this was not acting at all. The comedy was ironic and thoughtful in the same time, because of that top notch script by (Alan Alda) which was genius with some talented details: The short storyline of the old mother and her needing of lying to be happy, the big climax to achieve one victory by "the historical truth" side, and to embody the real conflict of the movie through a wonderful droll battle, not to mention small moments but so rich; like the scene of (Michael Caine) and his story about meeting (Winston Churchill); it could say a lot about the effect of WW2 on a character as disordered as his, however leaving the story as it is, true or false, is one wicked wink to us about the meaning of the movie, and its main irony. Finally, did (Alda) mean that illusion is the Sweet Liberty from all the annoying facts that we live? Or that truth nowadays is the Sweet Liberty from all the lies that we sunk under them? Whatever the answer is, asking the question proves how (Alda) is an intelligent movie-maker, and how he managed to make profound and entertaining comedy. Actually, it's wholly rare plus interesting for me as a scriptwriter myself and a previous student of history too.

I had hoped to like this film a bit more than I did, and I certainly expected to laugh more. Sweet Liberty is an Alan Alda project through and through. In it, he plays a history professor whose historical novel is going to be made into a movie during one crazy summer in the little college town. Everyone is excited about the upcoming shoot, but Alda's excitement turns to disgust once the cast and crew arrive. He finally gets a look at the script and finds out that the movie will be sort of a sex comedy with little regard for historical accuracy. Alda then sets out with the screenwriter to try and convince the actors and director to film his own version. While all of this is going on, we sit through several arguments about Alda's relationship status with his girlfriend. We are also treated to the eccentricities of Alda's ancient mother played by legendary actress Lillian Gish. Overall, there is just too much going on, and the film never quite sustains any comedic momentum. The film has some genuine strengths. The cast is an eclectic bunch of old stars, new faces, and genial nobodies. Alda and Michael Caine basically play themselves and do a very good job. Michelle Pfeiffer is not only beautiful as hell, but she also gives a strong early performance as the lead actress. Bob Hoskins' character is well-written, but he plays the man in too shrill of a manner to be taken seriously. His screenwriter character has some wonderful points to make about using flattery to get the attention of the actors and director if you want them to change what they are doing. But he is just so hyper that you cringe whenever you hear his voice. Saul Rubinek is good as the hotshot, pompous young director who is only out to show the audience three things: People defying authority, destruction of property, and people taking off their clothing. That's what industry research shows that younger audiences want, he informs Alda more than once. There are other problems besides the annoying Hoskins character. I'm sure it would seem desirable for an icon like Lillian Gish to be included in just about any film at that time. However, her character and scenes are just not needed and end up being more of a distraction than anything else. Alda and his girlfriend have about the same argument at least half a dozen times. Another scene looks like it will give a huge laugh payoff, but it falls flat. In it, a group of stunt men are in a bar with some of the local re-creators of the Battle of Cowpens who will also be used as extras in the film. The stunt men are trying to tell the amateurs how to fall in the battle scene. One of the stunt men breaks out one of those harnesses that people use to get pulled backwards through doorways in bar fight scenes. And you think you are going to see one of the amateurs get unknowingly hooked up to it and taken for the ride of his life. But alas, they apparently thought it would be funnier for the guy just to fall down on his back like an idiot. Another missed opportunity! 5 of 10 stars. The Hound.

source: Sweet Liberty

Trailer—Sweet Liberty

Sweet Liberty

I just saw this on AMC the other day, and thought it was extremely funny! Michael, played by AlanAlda has written an American History which was bought by a Hollywood studio and turned into a movie; but the movie is entirely screwed up; or the battle scenes were screwed up; beautiful Michelle Pffeifer plays the girl friend; Michael Caine steals the show with his pomp and egotism; Lillian Gish plays mom of Alda; and all have a riotous time. It was good to see Gish again; I almost forgot who she was! Not much sense to this but it was fun

All rights yes that movie good time coming soon on kino Blu-ray release February 2021