The Liberation Men

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'.

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.

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!

As WWII is winding down, the film's story relates the role Canadian soldiers played trying to liberate a Dutch town from the Nazis. Financing Indie film is difficult at best without big studio involvement. What they've accomplished with the vintage look...period costumes, the sets, the vehicles and equipment (guns, radio transmission, etc.) is truly heroic. A plus was the use of actual German and Dutch languages with sub-titles for the non-English speakers which is more authentic than everyone speaking English. I'd be interested in finding out more about the film, how and where it was made and the casting of the multi-linguistic actors.

The Liberation Men feels like an accurate depiction of a WWII story told with an empathetic lens. It is a story of heroism from Canadian soldiers and a film to be added to your lit, especially if you are a fan of war films from that era.

Told in several different languages it is a good idea to have the subtitles turned on unless you have some familiarity with German and Dutch.

This film reminds us of the difficult and complexities experiences during these times and the fear and power that the Nazi's instilled. A well told story about the unsung heroes that is worth a watch.

Makes me wonder if Danny Grossman, the writer, served in the military as the love and respect for the soldier's experience is there.