User reviews

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.

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.

I never expected this romantic comedy made for the teenage audience to be so entertaining. Mandy Moore gives us an endearing interpretation as Anna, the daughter of the President of the United States, rebelling against her lack of freedom and the difficulties of her love life. She takes on the opportunity to travel to Prague when his parents are on an official visit, and tries to get away from the strict security staff she's permanently surrounded with, to experience some freedom as a anonymous teenager. In Prague, she meets handsome brit Ben (Matthew Goode), who was perfectly casted for his role of an aloof, dutiful secret agent who, predictably, falls in love with Anna while trying to protect her while chasing her through several European cities. Both Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode offer very good and believable interpretations of their characters, which together with the beautiful scenery, more than make up for the not-so-original dialogue. Chasing Liberty is a good bet for those who like this type of genre.

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'!"

Well, this wasn't a totally boring movie, but it was close. The best part was definitly the shooting locations. The sceanary was beautiful if you are into European architecture and the like. Mandy Moore is not an experianced actress which is proven in this movie. Chasing Liberty was definitly a good premise to a movie and the casting was great minus the lead. Jeremy Piven and Matthew Goode were great. Not to be to hard on Mandy Moore but there are a ton of better actresses out there that good have made the movie ten times better.

The story is thin, but at least it suggests a nice route if you want to experience the best of Eurpoe in summer: Prague (Yes, the river is Vlatra instead of Danbue, and the pub Marquise de Sade is a great place...) > Venice (with a nice home stay -- and beware of pickpockets!)> Austria > Love Parade in Berlin (unfortunately the Berlin state council is discussing a suspension -- but Munich wants to take it up!). I can't imagine how they can manage to make that Love Parade scene. But whatever, it can refresh your memory well if you have been to those places.

The story? There is a story?

I admit I'm a hopeless romantic, but I really enjoyed every bit of this movie, from the actors to the soundtrack. I found Mandy Moore convincing in the role of sheltered first daughter, Anna Foster, and Matthew Goode perfectly charming as her reluctant undercover bodyguard, Ben Calder. The European scenery, alone, is worth the watch. The story, while a little predictable, still held enough surprises to make it fun, funny, and sweet. I particularly enjoyed the banter between Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra, secret service agents who follow Anna and Ben to Venice and Berlin. If you're looking for a little romance, give this a try. I don't think you'll regret it.

I suppose that the complete fabrication of a world in which the President and the secret service would compromise the safety of the first daughter for the purpose of deceiving her could be forgiven in light of the fact that it supports the unusual circumstances needed to have these two people "fall in love". But I don't forgive it because it's so completely and utterly stupid. I also can't overlook the fact that she is a self-centered and nasty person throughout this entire film. I had no sympathy for her character. I have no idea what it must be like to have a fantastically rich, powerful, and loving family and yet have a strong desire to be foolish and reckless, placing yourself and another person in danger because you feel your own life lacks something. Any man that has been in a position of selfless sacrifice in favor of a woman he loves, only to have her carelessly treat him, will despise her character. She pursues her own desires without concern or even any thought how it might affect others. As far as she knows the man she is with is an amazingly kind stranger, but she treats him like dirt. She imposes upon him to drive her all over town, she gets him mugged, and then when she doesn't get her way she pouts and leaves him stranded on a dirt road. She jumps in the back of a passing truck and leaves him stranded in the middle of nowhere. That's before she kicks him in the crotch at the end of the movie. What man would ever find such a whiny, selfish, heartless woman attractive? I despised her character in this film and I was hoping Ben, the male lead, would develop a backbone and tell her what a selfish and spoiled little brat she truly was. But, alas, it never happened. The ending was as predictable as the movie was lackluster. This is a definite thumbs-down. Boring and predictable with an unbelievable premise and a lead female character so selfish and spoiled I wanted to smack her.

I know, I know. This is a teenybop, sickly sweet movie. But I can't help it. It is my biggest guilty pleasure. I have seen this movie over 10 times and am now buying the DVD.

In a world were most movies are so full of sex and/or violence...you have Chasing Liberty. Sure you can guess the end within the first 10 minutes, but so what?!? Mandy Moore is just adorable and Matthew Goode is just...hum...really great eye candy!!! He is just too cute for words!

The music in this movie is pretty techno and I really enjoyed the scenes in the concert and at the Love Parade. Keep looking for the CD of the soundtrack to come out.

Anyhow, I am sure 98 of 100 people will say don't waste your time, but I disagree. I just love this movie.

Anna Foster (Mandy Moore) is the president (Mark Harmon)'s daughter. With 6 years in the White House and 8 years in the governor's mansion, she's 18 and tired of her overprotective security after a disrupted date. They make a deal to have only two agents Weiss (Jeremy Piven) and Morales (Annabella Sciorra) while she attends an opera on their Prague trip. Her wild friend Gabrielle takes her to a party and she sees all the other agents following her. Anna sneaks out and hops a ride on Ben Calder (Matthew Goode)'s moped. She never lets on that she's the president's daughter, and he turns out to be an agent. Without telling her, the president orders Calder to take her on a cross European trip ending at the Love Parade in Berlin.

Mandy Moore is perfectly likable if somewhat a little bland. That basically describes this movie. There isn't anything particularly wrong but there isn't anything particularly great about it. The problem is neither Moore nor Goode are strong comedic actors. So it's a passable romance with a little bit of comedy sprinkled in by Jeremy Piven. Also the possibility of a reveal for Matthew Goode is taken away immediately. So the movie just doesn't have the big tension.

This could've been one of those fun-and-fancy-free movies, with a likable heroine, a lighthearted escape, and fun roaming the countryside with a cute guy in tow. Whoops. Stop at item number one.

Was it Moore's acting? She has done far better in b*tchier roles (see Saved!) than protagonist-ic ones. Here, her regrettable gift at whining is combined with what the writers must have assumed is a normal teenage demeanor of spoiled, petulant adolescent who supposedly yearns for freedom but has no conception of what the real world is like without the protection of her father's name and money, nor does she seem to sincerely want one. Her complaints are so clichés and insincere that we sense she would be appeased if daddy let her have a shopping spree instead. She longs for some romanticized version of freedom, seen perhaps in movies, but it obviously emotionally unequipped to handle it. This, and Ben's obvious perception of this (I liked him more at the beginning when he was only annoyed by her, and don't see why he stopped) totally derail the movie.

I don't like to go on so about a single aspect of a film when others -- the extras, the adventures they have together through a beautiful countryside, and so on -- are so appealing. But there you have it. This movie was almost charming. Too bad.

I found this movie to be fun and enjoyable to just go see with the girls, but if you're looking at this movie as if was supposed to be more, you'll be disappointed. It was entertaining and fun, and I highly recommend it. Just remember that not all movies have to be intellectually stimulating, they are there to entertain you, and this one does just that.

Pop singer Mandy Moore plays Anna Foster, the 18-year-old daughter of the President in this romantic comedy set in Europe, as she tries to ditch her Secret Service handlers to enjoy a bit of fun and romance with her new boyfriend (Matthew Goode).

It's pretty obvious that not a lot of thought went into this film. The whole thing is pretty generic and predictable. It's all been done before and it's all been done much better. I really only watched Chasing Liberty because my girlfriend wanted to watch it. We both ended up not liking it. The whole film was just very dull and pointless. I know its just a harmless chick flick but that doesn't mean it should be so lifeless. Most of the film is just Mandy Moore running around Europe with two security guards watching after her. The subplot with the two security guards is the only interesting aspect this film has to offer, Unfortunately, the subplot doesn't take up much screen time.

The acting is just as generic as the script. Mandy Moor is a decent actress but here she's completely dull. Her acting is so unconvincing and wooden though she does appear to be having fun and this helps a little. Mark Harmon plays her father and he gives a bland performance. The only person to give a good performance is Jeremy Piven. He plays one of the security guards and he's the only thing keeping the film together. Director Andy Cadiff moves things at a really slow pace and he will put the audience to sleep fast. He usually just directs fluff like Growing Pains so that's not much of a surprise.

I think the worst part about the movie is the music. It's so corny and annoying. If no one was talking then some cheesy song would be playing. It's almost like they wanted to punish their audience with all the bad music and acting. Surprisingly, the running time is only 105 minutes. Of course, it feels much longer and a lot of this stuff could have been edited. Also, I don't think teens will really like this movie because it's probably too long for them. It's not mature enough for an adult audience so the only people that will like this film are fans of Mandy Moore. Make that only die hard fans of Mandy Moore. In the end, this generic teen film is worth skipping. Rating 3/10

"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.

Anna (Mandy Moore) is having gargantuan tough luck as the President's daughter. At least, that is, when she is out on a date. Inevitably, the man in the picture usually exits early, not having the fortitude to withstand the scrutiny of the public and the interference of the Secret Service. What's a beautiful young lady to do? Escape, now there's an idea. On a European tour with the folks, Anna takes great pains to lose herself in a crowd of people and strike out on her own adventure. The young man who aids in her plot is a handsome charmer, too. Will anyone discover who she is? Is there another secret afoot, too? This is a nice film for the female population, young and old. Moore is spunky and fetching and her love interest is attractive, too. How welcoming to see Jeremy Piven and co-star Annabella Sciorra in this movie as well. They supply the banter and fun of a couple attracted to each other, in spite of first impressions. The scenery is absolutely fabulous, too, of course. Ladies, get the girlish relatives together in the family room at the next holiday encounter to watch this film. It will take the sting out of being left with the dishes....again.

I felt the characters were a underdeveloped / superficial and the chemistry between them was a little forced - 18 yearl old girl ad 23 year old guy, 'love' or unremarkable infatuation? And this definitely seems to be targetted at a younger teen audience.

On the other hand, cool idea for a plot with some likeable secondary characters and a fair few laughs - the romance between the two coworker special service agents alone is more convincing than the main plot.

Well, my heart almost broke seeing how hard life of most powerful man's on Earth daughter's life is hard and controlled. Surely, that's much more interesting for average viewer than life of some 18 year girl, which family just lost it's home because greedy bankers or whoever. And surely, there is much more of later than of president (add here prime ministers, kings etc) daughters. Yet, people will care much more for those having something other than material problems. Yes, that was always so, even with Audrey Hepburn - and her name is almost mandatory when writing review of this :-)

Indeed, there was lot of cliche in this. For instance locations in Europe. Like it was taken from some tourist catalog. And, of course when they went on wrong train, it did not go to some unknown (for oversea people) city, but straight to Venice. On top of all, even when they left without any money, because one of rare realistic moments in movie it went well, actually way too good. But hey, true love makes people around loving you :-) Actually, their love was so strong that even agents developed romantic relationship. And I must say, I liked it, even if that male agent was a schmuck.

I give it 6 despite writing almost nothing good about. It was watchable, charming bigger part of time. And of course darn predictable. Pure escapism, indeed. Or giving self (as viewer) liberty from real life problems :-)

So the female protagonist kept complaining about her overprotective parents and didn't appreciate how much they loved her. Then later she had a beer with a completely stranger that she had just met for not even 1 hour. However, she told him how rich she was (staying in 5-star hotels) despite the fact that in real life this could have got her raped, kidnapped or even killed! I mean what kind of 18-year-old girl doesn't know the basic safety rules such as not telling a stranger your information or not having a drink with them?!! In this movie, she's just lucky to meet her dad's secret agent. In real life, we aren't so sure about that! Young girls watching this could have done the same thing and got themselves into danger! In my country, 13-year-old girls got pregnant because they trusted strangers online (or irl) and movie like this totally is one of the bad influences that made them day-dreaming about handsome strangers!

I really loved this film. I will freely admit that I have a penchant for romantic comedies, but I have seen my share of bad ones and this is definitely a must-see for fans of the genre. It works because it has a far-fetched storyline that allows for the two main characters to frolic around Europe with two secret service agents on their tails. It also works because of the beautiful backdrop of Europe as the setting for this fairy tale romance. The locations the director chose are stunning- mainly Prague and Venice. Gorgeous! The romantic glow of Europe makes the movie so much more romantic. It's not hard to believe that Anna and Ben fall in love while taking a moonlit gondola ride. I also really enjoyed the story line of the two secret service agents who are trying to find Anna- Weiss and Morales- in many ways their romance is even more enjoyable storyline than that of the main characters. The music used in the film works very well, too. Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode are new actors but they have palpable chemistry and both work perfectly in their roles. For a romantic comedy I'd have to say... 9/10

Mark Harmon, as the President, gives his usual wooden performance, which is the worst part of this otherwise entertaining film, worth an hour and a half of your time on a very slow day. Mandy Moore is a

decorative presidential daughter, an aspiring party girl though she implausibly ends up at Harvard. Matthew Goode (as her undercover minder) and Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra as secret agent partners who begin as dueling personalities and predictably fall in love make this movie utterly painless. Maybe too much nakedness for PG-13 but certainly not an R.

While this was not DEEP material by any standards, no romantic comedy is! This is probably the first romantic comedy to come out since "How to Lose A Guy in Ten Days" that I've really really enjoyed. And probably the first comedy of any kind that has made me actually laugh out loud in the theater. Mandy Moore is much more than a pretty face and voice, she CAN act. And Matthew Goode was is great with dry humor, and a decent actor. The scenery was gorgeous, the story humorous, the actors pulled if off well...this movie should have done so much better.

Chasing liberty:

Biographical information:

America, 2004 World premier: 02/07/2004 Running length: 1:11 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (sexual content and brief nudity) Cast: Mandy Moore, Matthew Goode, Jeremy Piven, Annabella Sciorra, Mark Harmon, Caroline Goodall, Stark Sands, Miriam Margolves, Beatrice Rosen and The Roots. Director: Andy Cadiff Producers: Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. kosove and David Parfitt. Screenplay: Derek Guiley and David Schneiderman. Cinematography: Ashley Rowe Music: Christian Hanson Distribution: Warner Bros. Pictures Genre: Romantic comedy

Film review: The story is about Anna "Liberty" Foster who is the 18-year old daughter of the American president. This means she has no freedom, something she dislikes more than anything else. One night she wants to go with a friend of her to a concert in Prague and she has an agreement with her dad: this time only two security guards. When she discovers that he has broken his promise, she runs away with a nice boy. She continues her plan to go to The Love Parade in Berlin and the guy joins her. Finely she's free and she can do whatever she wants without being controlled by the guards. During their trip they fall in love. But how long is this fairytale going to survive? I was looking for a film that could give me a break and I must say this romantic comedy was perfect for this! A while ago, a friend told me she saw the film and she found him very good. So one evening, when I discovered that the film was broadcast on TV, I had to see him. I also knew that Mandy Moore was one of the actresses. That's one of the main reasons I thought the film would be good. Why? Because I saw another film with her in the leading role (A walk to remember) and it's one of my favorite films. Besides, all the other actors and actresses played their role well. You clearly see that Ben is falling in love with her despite her complaining about her overprotective father and the security guards. Actually everything about the film was very good! For example the costumes of Liberty. In the White House she is dressed appropriately, but when she discovers the world her clothes changes. In fact, her whole look changes: she colors her hair so nobody will recognize her and she is dressed like all other normal teenagers. The lightening was good as well as the camera work. There were a couple of nice close-ups when it gets romantic. A nice bonus were the postcards we saw every time she went to another city. Another thing I like is the title. You can interpret it in two different ways. First you can say that they are chasing after Anna "Liberty" Foster and second you can also say that she is chasing liberty/freedom. So I really enjoyed the film and recommend the girls to see him sometime.