Esprit libre

I am a sucker for a good, sappy, romantic comedy. I have always liked Mandy Moore (especially in "A Walk to Remember") and I thought she was pretty good in this.

Nothing that will make you think which is nice if you're looking for a fun girly movie.

My only complaints are that the movie dragged a bit long for this type of movie... could've cut out some of the chase scenes. But I liked the different places they went, those are such beautiful areas of the world and the movie reminded me of my trip to Europe when I was in college.

If you're looking for something deep or an epic romance, this is not for you. But if you want something good to watch on a night home alone or with girlfriends, this is a great pick.

"So Stephanie's at a wrestling event," said Amber, my 16-year-old sister, "and you're watching 'Chasing Liberty.' What's wrong with this picture?"

It's a good question, and it's one I'm scared to answer. Stephanie's coworkers had an extra (and FREE) ticket to WWE's Raw and asked if she wanted to go. Much to my chagrin (because I faced the very scary prospect of watching the screening of "Chasing Liberty" by myself) she wanted to go. So I said, "Have a good time!" and proceeded to beg my sister to go to the movie screening. Thankfully, she did. However, that doesn't change the fact that I've now seen more Romantic Comedies within the last year than I have in my previous 27 years combined. I am not turning into a girl, I am NOT turning into a girl, I AM NOT TURNING INTO A GIRL!

And you know, I'd love to be all macho and talk about how horrible this movie is all while flexing my biceps and muscle-bouncing my pecs, but I have to admit that the movie *swallows manly pride* isn't awful. Now don't get me wrong, this isn't a great movie in any way, but I happen to think that Mandy Moore has a likable screen presence. Plus, I think she's cute and therefore that helped me sit through this. Because, you know, I'm a guy and um, macho guys can watch a girly movie as long as a cute girl is in it! Yeah!

My main problem with the movie is the lame dialogue. "Do you think they'll shoot me if I kiss you?" "No, but I will if you don't." Yeah, how about you just shoot *me* and sort it out later. It's also annoying how Mandy Moore drops little pump-fisting tidbits of you-can-do-it "wisdom" throughout the movie. "The things that you're scared of are usually the most worthwhile." And I heard that a stitch in time saves nine.

Not surprisingly, this is a pretty predictable movie. Mandy Moore rebels. Matthew Goode helps her escape. It turns out that Matthew is working for the secret service. He doesn't tell Mandy. They fall in love. Cheesy pop songs fill the air. Mandy finds out Matthew lied and storms off. And well, do I really need to tell you how it ends? No, I didn't think so.

Speaking of the cheesy pop songs, man, things started off so well with Mandy dancing around to Tom Petty's "American Girl." But aside from a Chris Isaak song later in the movie, the rest were pure Velveeta. It's a standard formula for these types of movies: "Uh-oh, we've had 10 minutes of lame dialogue, we need 20 seconds of a sappy love song. STAT!"

If Mandy Moore hadn't been in this movie, then there really wouldn't have been anything to hold my interest. That's not to say the rest of the cast is bad, they just don't do a lot for me. Matthew Goode is all right I suppose. I'll admit that he's better than your typical teenage movie pretty boy, but what's up with his perpetual expression of confusion? He just walked around most the time with a vacant stare and would often look off to the side as if he was trying to find a way to escape his surroundings. I found myself doing the same thing a couple of times, but Mandy Moore would suck me right back into the movie. Oh, and note to the producers: escaping from the secret service on a moped doesn't help anybody's tough guy image.

Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra are quarreling Secret Service Agents who do the best they can with the cheesy material they're given, and Mark Harmon fails to turn the cinematic world on its ear with his Presidential portrayal. He wasn't bad, but you could've put just about anybody in the role and gotten the same effect.

The movie runs a little too long. I think 90 minutes would suffice. This thing is almost 2 hours long, and there's just really no need.

THE GIST:

This is a Romantic Comedy that contains a predictable romance plot and is only occasionally funny. It's worth a matinee price at best, and I'd really recommend saving it for a rental. Better yet, just catch it when it eventually airs on TV.

If you're a teenage girl, a Mandy Moore fan, or someone who loves cute romantic comedies no matter how cheesy or predictable they are, then you'll probably enjoy this. If you're a guy, then please don't see this alone. If your significant other wants to see it, then make sure and tell her that she "owes you" and then quietly enjoy watching Mandy Moore for a couple of hours.

Mandy Moore plays Anna Foster, the 18 year-old daughter of the President of the United States (Mark Harmon). She has a dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness without an army of Secret Service agents around her at all times. The movie begins with Anna going on a first date, and the Secret Service agents ruining it. On a trip to Europe, Anna ditches the Secret Service agents and meets Ben (Matthew Goode). Anna thinks she is finally free to live like other teenagers, and she sets out to tour Europe with Ben, with whom she falls in love. This is a lighthearted, enjoyable comedy. The story is thin, but the landscapes of Europe are beautiful. (Warner Brothers Pictures, Run Time 2:00, Rated PG-13) 4/10

If it wasn't for Matthew Goode's big, pretty eyes, and warm acting, I wouldn't have made it through this movie. I forgot what a horrible actress Mandy Moore was. The story is beyond ridiculous, her character is so irritating. Why any man would fall for a twit like the one she plays, makes no sense. No wonder romantic movies have fallen out of popularity.

This film, it is true, requires little brainpower. It is, however, light and fun fare, particularly for teenagers. Moore is adequate but not stellar as the President's whiny daughter. My biggest complaint with the movie is that her repeated comments about wanting "freedom" get old very quickly, and she comes off as a spoiled brat, but that's more the fault of the writing, not Moore. Matthew Goode in his breakout performance is far more charming, showing off a relaxed, witty presence that make his character well worth watching (and if his performance isn't enough, his looks should be!). The sub-love-story of Moore's two bodyguards, Weiss and Morales, is also funny and at times more interesting than the lead characters themselves. The scenery easily makes up for the lack of depth. All in all, it's a cute and entertaining film and at times is outright funny. Worth watching and even buying, for times when you're not in mood for heavy drama!

"I...want to swim naked...in the Danube!" "Actually, it's the Vltava." "Who says they want to swim naked in the Vltava? Nobody says that." "That's because Vltava is Polish for 'unhealthy bacteria level'!"