This one could have been so much more fun if it hadn’t been chasing a ridiculous soundtrack and well, cheesy dialogue.

I mean I know most romcoms are cheesy but this tends to overdo itself. Nevertheless, I can think of worse things (for a girl) than sitting at home and watching a Matthew Goode movie where he gets to ne ridiculously romantic and all that. There is also some really fun scenes and great locations.

Here’s the movie’s deal:

Anna Foster (Mandy Moore) is the First Daughter. She is 18 and it is impossible for her to enjoy a romantic and private date out with a boy she likes because there are agents everywhere watching and following her. Her last date goes awry again and she decides that she can get a taste of the normal teenage life in Prague, where she will be traveling with her parents. She even convinces her dad (Mark Harmon) to assign only two agents: Weiss. and Morales (Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra). She goes out with her friend Gabrielle (Beatrice Rosen), only to realize that Secret Service are again everywhere. So to punish her dad and prove her point, she gets on the motorcycle of the handsome English guy – Ben (Matthew Goode). Ben helps her ditch the agents Anna can’t believe her luck- she is free in Prague, hanging with a cute guy. Unbeknownst to Anna, however, Ben is also an agent. When her father learns that she ditched the others, he tells Ben to look after Anna, staying undercover. After all, he is sure Anna will come running very soon.

But Anna has other plans, including attending the Love Parade in Berlin.  Ben does his best to try to keep her out of trouble but of course Anna is far too naive, pig-headed and optimistic to be safe. There is also the fact she is making it clear she wants him. What is a secret agent to do, especially when he wants her too?

Fun premise, beautiful locations. We get to see  Berlin, Venice, Prague, London…I really like Jeremy Piven’s character. He is simply too funny to resist and the sub-plot involves him trying to get Morales  to like him.

The movie is only enemy is that it tries too hard to be romantic and it could have been just more fun and genuinely romantic, had they not exaggerated too many things on Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode’s sides. If you want Mandy Moore be subtler (and she can), watch Dedication. If you want a non-cheesy, genuinely sweet and naturally romantic film, watch Before Sunrise.

But even though it has too many flaws, Chasing Liberty follows a fun fantasy. Forget about being the president’s daughter, it is just so fun running off in Europe with a hot stranger no matter how old you are. Still, I’d like the movie more if Anna’s character hadn’t been so stupid in general…

Co-starring is Caroline Goodall as Anna’s mother.

Fun note: Matthew Goode’s 2010 romantic comedy Leap Year also has the leading female called Anna.

Favorite Lines/Scenes

Anna Foster: Dad! Way to go. I can’t believe you had that restaurant swarming with all of your secret servants. You ruined my date! And now, I’m going to die before I ever get to third base… I mean second base.
[Anna turns to see others in room]
President James Foster: Anna?
Anna Foster: I’ll talk to you about this later.
President James Foster: No, no. Stay. Pull up a chair. We were just discussing the G8 Summit in Prague, how to best persuade the EU leaders to adopt our plan for distributing humanitarian aid and medical technology to developing nations, but you had a bad date, so we should probably focus on that.
Anna Foster: No, no, no, I’m so sorry to have interrupted. Excuse me.
[Anna leaves]
President James Foster: So third base is what again?
[indistinct mumbling]
President James Foster: Glad I asked.

***

Anna Foster: I want to swim naked in the Danube!
Ben Calder: Actually, it’s the Vltava.
Anna Foster: Who wants to swim naked in the Vltava? Nobody says that.
Ben Calder: Because in English,Vltava means ‘unhealthy bacteria level’.
Anna Foster: Yeah, right.
Ben Calder: Why can’t you be free without being naked?

***

Ben Calder: [to Anna] Can you please stop taking your clothes off around me?

Other Matthew Goode Movies

Copying Beethoven starring Ed Harris, Diane Kruger and Matthew Goode

Watchmen starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman & Matthew Goode

Leap Year starring Matthew Goode and Amy Adams

Other Posts feat. Mandy Moore

Nicholas Sparks vs. Happy endings. feat. A Walk to Remember starring Moore