Sweet Liberty Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Sweet Liberty Blu-ray Movie Review

A charming gem written-and-directed by Alan Alda.

Sweet Liberty is a charming comedy about the making-of a major Hollywood motion-picture (and all of the drama that the production entails). Produced by Martin Bregman (Sea of Love, Dog Day Afternoon), Sweet Liberty is filled to the brim with an all star cast: Alan Alda, Bob Hoskins, Michael Caine, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Written and directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Alan Alda (Betsy's Wedding, A New Life), the film has plenty of charm and comedic delights.

Michael Burgess (Alan Alda) is a college history professor who wrote a bestselling book about the American Revolution and sold it to Hollywood producers. When Hollywood shows up at his doorstep to make the movie and screenwriter Stanley Gould (Bob Hoskins) shows him the script that he plans to adapt in to the feature-film, things get zany and weird as the production rolls underway.

The cast of characters includes Elliott James (Michael Caine) and Faith Healy (Michelle Pfeiffer) as the leading cast members in “Sweet Liberty” and the clash of egos is only just beginning. Director Bo Hodges (Saul Rubinek) wants to make the movie to sell tickets to teenagers – and toss the history plotlines away. Can Michael save his book from adaptation disaster before its too late?

The cast is outstanding. Sweet Liberty is worth seeing for the ensemble cast alone. Alan Alda is just as comical and hilarious as always – and delves in to his role with a clear dedication to the part. The fun scenario of the script gives Alda plenty of opportunities to shine. Hoskins is comedy-gold in the fun supporting role as an eccentric screenwriter determined to not get removed from the project.

Fans of Hoskins will absolutely want to check out Sweet Liberty for his impressive and underrated performance – one of the highlights of the production. Michael Caine is as suave and charming as always while Michelle Pfeiffer is undeniably gorgeous and enchanting. A must-see cast.

An eccentric cast of characters helps the film to sing.

The music by Bruce Broughton (The Monster Squad, The Pledge) is delightful and gives a sense of whimsy to the film. The score is well-suited to the genre. The score isn't a throwaway and phoned in effort (as is frequently the case with 80's comedies). A solid effort by Broughton.

The cinematography by Frank Tidy (Chain Reaction, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot) is one of the elements that could have used some improvement. The visual aesthetics are average-at-best and everything seems less polished than audiences would hope to find. Though the film has a decent visual aesthetic, it never sings.

The production design by Ben Edwards (Lyndon Johnson, Hanky Panky) is fun to watch unfold. Considering the American Revolution plot-line involved in Sweet Liberty, it is entertaining to see everything assembled for the Hollywood “film-within-a- film” element. The end results are rather compelling. The art direction by Christopher Nowak (Parenthood, The Dream Team) also adds a enjoyable component.

The costumes by Jane Greenwood (Glengarry Glen Ross, The Squeeze) manage to impress. The assortment of costumes designed for the cast of characters are terrific. Most noteworthy are the beautiful gowns for Michelle Pfeiffer and the colorful suit-and-ties for Bob Hoskins.

Alan Alda crafted a comedic gem with Sweet Liberty. Acting, directing, and penning the quirky screenplay, Alda assembled a dream cast of actors for the well-written roles. The cast has terrific fun and Alda manages to bring out the best from all of them (even if Hoskins often steals the show). The script is entertaining and the direction flows nicely – in part because of the well-crafted editing by Michael Economou (S.H.E. - Security Hazard Expert, Space Case). Sweet Liberty is well worth seeing.

Sweet Liberty Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Sweet Liberty is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The presentation quality doesn't impress as much as desired. The picture-quality is sub-par in many respects. Though the presentation benefits from the high-definition upgrade, the video quality is still not ideal. With frustrating edge enhancements and digital tinkering, the video quality looks overly harsh. The presentation simply isn't as natural as it should be. Colors are also a bit drab looking. Average.

Sweet Liberty Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The lossless sound quality on the release is average-at-best. The audio track has no egregious issues with hiss, crackle, warps, pops, or clicks. However, the audio track does sound a bit thin and unimaginative. The track simply never seems particularly robust or dynamic. Dialouge is nonetheless clear and easy to understand. A decent if unexciting audio presentation.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

Sweet Liberty Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Filmmaker Daniel Kremer and Film Historian/Biographer Nat Segaloff

Sweet Liberty Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:01)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: Betsy's Wedding (SD, 2:17), Blame It On Rio (HD, 2:12), Married to the Mob (HD, 2:10), and The Last Married Couple in America (HD, 2:35).

Sweet Liberty Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sweet Liberty is a charming and delightful comedic gem. Alan Alda assembled a dream team of actors that includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Bob Hoskins, and Michael Caine. Written-and-directed and starring Alan Alda, Sweet Liberty is a under-the-radar comedy that is worth checking out. The fun script is particularly noteworthy and the quirky dialogue goes a long way. The Blu-ray release features an average-at-best video-audio presentation but the film is worth seeing. Recommended.