_Liberty_Heights_ (R) *** (out of ****)
_Liberty_Heights_, writer-director Barry Levinson's fourth cinematic ode to his hometown of Baltimore, plays like a memory, and with that description comes everything it entails. While a work of great affection for the time and place it so painstakingly recreates, the film also suffers from a problem not unlike one described by the narrator at the film's end: the images in his memory are not always as sharp as he'd like them to be. Similarly, the meandering focus of Levinson's script isn't quite as sharp as it should be, but there is nothing muddled about the warm feelings the film strongly evokes.
_Liberty_Heights_ takes its name from a Jewish neighborhood in 1954 Baltimore, the setting for the coming-of-age stories of brothers Ben (Ben Foster) and Van (Adrien Brody). University student Van's storyline follows his attraction to a blonde gentile beauty (Carolyn Murphy) who, unbeknownst to him, is the girlfriend of his rich preppie buddy Trey (Justin Chambers). The more interesting thread belongs to high schooler Ben, who falls for Sylvia (Rebekah Johnson), a fetching young lady who shares his homeroom. The complication, however, is that she's African-American.
Speaking in terms of plot, there is not much at all to either of these storylines. But on these thin threads, Levinson hangs a number of smaller details that lend the film its beguiling and universal flavor. While the stories are told from a Jewish perspective circa the mid-1950s, anyone can relate to the awkwardness and bliss of first love; the pursuit of that love in the face of adversity, societal or otherwise; the challenging of stereotypes; and living through a time of sweeping social change. The likable cast, in particular Foster and Johnson, make it even easier to get involved in the proceedings.
Unfortunately, however, _Liberty_Heights_ is not entirely a coming-of-age of youth, but that of an entire family. In addition to the stories of Ben and Van, the other prominent plot thread involves their father (Joe Mantegna), a burlesque house owner and numbers racketeer who finds both of his businesses being irreversibly affected by the changing times. This thread, which also comes to involve an errant drug dealer (Orlando Jones), never feels quite of a piece with the gentler youth stories, and the (inevitable) convergence with Ben's storyline feels forced.
Levinson obviously enjoys remembering the times of his youth, and like people often do while reminiscing, he loses track of time. At 120 minutes, _Liberty_Heights_ is overlong by at least 20 minutes, its energy dissipating and ultimately completely draining by the time the final credits start rolling. But what remains strong as ever by that point is the wistful emotion the film evokes, the bittersweet affection that comes with looking back at an era that was, for better and worse, much simpler.
Michael Dequina twotrey@juno.com | michael_jordan@geocities.com | jordan_host@sportsmail.com | mrbrown@iname.com Mr. Brown's Movie Site: http://welcome.to/mrbrown CinemaReview Magazine: http://www.CinemaReview.com on ICQ: #25289934 | on AOL Instant Messenger: MrBrown23
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