The Liberation Men

There are so many lesser told stories from the Second World War and, while I'm nowhere near as knowledgable as some, the Canadian perspective was one that I knew nothing about.

Based on true events, the film centres on a group of soldiers towards the end of the war, who work with the local resistance to liberate a Dutch village as the clock ticks down towards an allied attack, intended to drive out the Nazi occupiers.

Despite it indie roots, The Liberation Men achieves a lot with its budget. The film is really elevated by the production design, which feels absolutely spot on. The story is engaging, and the creative team are clearly passionate about telling this lesser explored perspective of WWII, all of which makes for an enjoyable 90 minutes.

The liberation men is a solid indie war flick that depvs into the backstory of the liberation of Holland. Good character development, low light shooting and story. The pace could be better, the lead at times seemed a little low energy although a solid effort there, throw in some more adventurous camera angles (the Dutch angle would be appropriate, Mr robot frame), and sometimes the sound was difficult to hear, but all minor things when you see the effort to detail and other things put into this movie. It takes an army and deep pockets to make the kind of movies we are used to seeing in the box office, which makes this one worthy of look just to see what can be done on a 'budget'.

In an era where Hollywood dominates the depiction of world wars, these filmmakers undertook the challenge of creating a realistic and believable movie on a budget. Story is told from the perspective of the Canadian armed forces stationed in Holland, facing off against German Nazis. The visuals are impressive... from the period-era costumes and set design, to the authentic WW2-era tanks rolling over the hillside, to the Jeeps and weaponry. I appreciated the inclusion of multiple characters' points of view. WWII film buffs will love this movie, as will anyone who appreciates an indie drama where the good guys win at a cost. Worth watching!

I was a fool! I checked out the Director thinking his involvement with 'Designated Survivor' would mean a definite bit of entertainment on a lazy afternoon! How wrong was I? This is your typical low budget war movie which only those who were involved in its production would sit down and watch. My clue came in the first few minutes when - spoiler alert- a troop carrier with 2 soldiers in immaculate uniforms were 'blown up' by what sounded like a small fire work. Next a hospital scene with no hospital staff and very poor dialogue. I'm generally tolerant of low budget movies but my patience ran out after 10 minutes! There are a ton of good war movies out there, watch those instead.

This film has an Interesting story and it is told well. The attention to detail in every scene is evident. The production design team did a great job, too. From creating a realistic hospital (hospital beds, medical equipment, etc.) from the WWII era to creating convincing battlegrounds. I appreciate what the filmmakers where doing. A job well done. A herculean effort on the part of the filmmakers to make this movie work with a relatively tight budget. The costumes, for example. Not to mention the tanks, etc. Wow! I commend all involved for pouring their heart and soul into creating this film. Check it out!