Movie #280 ........................"Liberty Heights"

Movie #280 "Liberty Heights" is my kind of movie --- it has everything that I would ever want to put n a film. It's not one of those shoot 'em' up blockbusters at all --- on the contrary, it's an intelligent film that addresses the issue of being Jewish and a victim growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s. That in itself makes it special to me because I can't remember seeing another one on the subject. It also seems one of a kind in the theme: Ben Foster halfway through the film is talking to Orlando Jones, and asks him why he would pick on a jew when he is also a minority. Orlando says that he comes from slaves, and Ben Says so does he --- who do you think built the pyramids. Hah! There's a gotcha moment that was fun to watch, and it brings up a huge question about why minority groups pick on each other, when if they banded together they wouldn't be minorities any more. I was glad to see a movie state that in so many words. What I really loved about this movie besides the great acting with Bebe, Ben (my new found actor to stalk (see everything he's done) in movies) Joe Mantegna, Orlando Jones and ever favorite Adrien Brody, is that it uses a simultaneous editing technique that I really liked;i.e., the movie usually followed silmultaneously what Ben, Adrien, Mom and Dad were doing all at the same time --- it layered the film, and made it the 5 I thought it was. I highly recommend this. But not for kids --- there are some sexual awakening scenes in the film because they are part of the conflict --- Ben is dating a black girl, and Adrien is dating a rich girl. Good film.

You rated this movie: 5.0
Liberty Heights
(1999) R
"No Jews, dogs or coloreds," reads the sign outside a public swimming pool in 1954 Baltimore. High school freshman Ben Kurtzman (Ben Foster) and friends find themselves confronted with anti-Semitism, racism and coming of age in a fast-changing world. Writer-director and Baltimore memorialist Barry Levinson takes viewers on a sentimental journey, complete with loving period details and wry humor.