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Liberty Heights | Year: 1999 Classification: Drama Actors/Actresses: - Adrien Brody - David Krumholtz - Bebe Neuwirth - Shane West - Joe Mantegna - Orlando Jones watchable but uninspired If there is one subject the reflective, autobiographically-inclined filmmaker seems to obsess about above all others, it is the glorious innocence of his own childhood. This seems to be doubly the case when that upbringing has taken place in a heavily ethnic family and neighborhood filled with intergenerational and societal conflicts. With Barry Levinson, of course, the scene is the Jewish section of Baltimore known as Liberty Heights at a time - 1954 - in which the old standards of segregation and unquestioning devotion to tradition were beginning to crumble in the face of an up-and-coming generation of freethinking youths. The youths in this case are two brothers in their late teens, sons of a local burlesque theater proprietor and local numbers runner, who face down anti-Semitism as they flirt with interracial and cross-cultural dating. `Liberty Heights' is a perfectly decent little film, well acted, relaxed in its pacing and admirably lacking in obvious melodramatics. Its portrayal of interracial tensions - paradoxically, between two equally despised and mistreated minorities, Jews and blacks - is surprisingly restrained and subtle. Thanks, too, to understated performances from a first-rate cast (Adrien Brody, Bebe Neuwirth, Joe Mantegna) and an air of casual believability in its screenplay, the film does relatively well by itself. Most admirably of all, the movie does not overstate the villainous qualities of its `bad guys,' and by so doing, manages to see the subtle shadings of virtues and faults that lie in each of us. However, all this niceness comes with a price. With so little in the way of genuine conflict, the film seems to wander a bit aimlessly for much of its running time. For one thing, the relationship between the father and his two sons remains strangely sketchy, possibly because they share very little screen time together. We never sense the reality of the bond that so obviously exists between them, so much so, that, when the father is finally caught and sent off to prison, we have no way to fairly register the feelings or reactions of the boys. Not only does this incident seem to leave no mark on their emotions, it provides no sense of how it colors their perceptions of their father's moral character. The unfortunate fact is that this material has simply been played out now by the umpteen similar films which have come before it. What are needed at this late date are some fresh insights to help breathe some new life into the formula. These Levinson, as both writer and director, simply fails to provide. We watch with cool detachment as the scenes play themselves out in predictable and uninspiring fashion. Perhaps it is time for filmmakers as a whole to move on past thinking that their every childhood memory should serve as fodder for the audience's edification. Unfortunately, for `Liberty Heights,' fine as it is at times, we discover we much prefer our own childhood experiences to theirs. **1/2 An Eye Opening Film For All Generations To Enjoy The first time I watched this movie was on a whim and I didn't know what to expect from it. I quickly found myself becoming infatuated with the story line. Barry Levinson has created a masterpiece with this film that stars Joe Mategna, Ben Foster, Adrien Brody and Bebe Neuwirth who are theKurtzman family living in suburbian Baltimore, Maryland in a place called Liberty Heights in the year 1954. Along the way their experiences are chronicled as integration has just begun. I could go on and on, but you have got to see this movie for yourself. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. Funny, strange, poignant, and an interest perspective. Barry Levinson's semi-autobiographical look at life in the mid '50's, from a Jewish perspective, is funny, interesting, and poignant, and fairly strange. It ironically stars Joe Montegna as a Jewish business man, with many troubles, Bebe Neuwirth, as his wife and some other interesting characters. One funny, but not funny, moment (if your Jewish) is when his son tries to go to a Halloween party dressed as Adolf Hitler, much to the horror of his mother and grandmother (which is understandable). An interesting side story is the relationship between one son and a highly attractive (black) girl. Prejudice runs several ways in this movie; a definite reflection of the times, but does not detract from it. [An aside-the only thing that marred the viewing of this disc was a slight bit of debris; which I cleared off and then the disc played fine-a bit of advice to all dvd users to check and clean edge to edge; never, ever, in a circular fashion.] Otherwise a fine film. Well acted, good story, which does a credit to Mr. Levinson. Recommended. Buy Liberty Heights at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Liberty Heights Search with the Priority Search Engine on Liberty Heights This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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