Best movie of this year hands down!

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This is a rather laid-back, but enjoyable movie; the type that more mature audiences will enjoy.The story is relatively interesting. Hollywood types decide to make a movie based on an historical book written by Alan Alda's character. Of course, the movie company cares nothing about the historical accuracy of the Revolutionary War era script, while Alda (and the community) care a great deal. Meanwhile there are various romantic situations involving Alda and the film's starring actress (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Alda's girlfriend (Lise Hilboldt) and the film's lead actor (Michael Caine; who did not get top billing here); although these assignations are handled in a rather urbane manner. Alda and the community get their revenge when the key battle scene of the movie is filmed. It's all very good natured.Alan Alda is very good here; just right for this kind of laid-back treatment of the story. It made me wish that more Alda's acting career had been in film, rather than in "MASH". Michael Caine is fine here, although the role is clearly a supporting role, rather than a starring role. Michelle Pfeiffer is satisfactory; quite appealing in some scenes, and then not so in other scenes; an uneven performance. Bob Hoskins has a supporting role as a decidedly unclassy screenwriter; nothing very notable. Lise Hilboldt is very good as Alda's girlfriend. It's a delight to see Lillian Gish in a role as Alda's eccentric mother; her next to the last film. Saul Rubinek plays the film's director; again, nothing special here.Is this a box office smash? No. A rather casual film with a decent script and goo acting. As at least one reviewer indicated, it could have been more satirical, but I don't think that was the intent. Particularly worthwhile if you enjoy Alan Alda,

This is one of the funniest movies that utilized the irony between truth and fiction through the eternal clash between history and art, to present an enjoyable comedy which mocks at both !Look at the movie's point of view out of its own cosmos : history is unknown, since nobody reads in the image's age. Cinema is just a lie to make a thrilling time, whether history is damaged or not; to create the artistic "lying" version of it! Movie stars are sick people after that creative lying sneaked into them, from their work to their daily behaviors, to become whether unfaithful to their wives (Michael Caine), or at least schizophrenic (Michelle Pefiffer). The director is a cat's-paw in the hands of giant studio that wants nothing but money and down with the credibility. So, the writer becomes the last man standing, or the last honorable worrier for the truth; which turns him into the enemy. Consequently, he finds that the only heroic solution is to deal randomly and impudently, like all the others, to achieve just one thing he believes in, by the way he exactly wants. To grow eventually – despite all of his pure idealistic principles – into one of the liars, and a shield in the machine of cinema (not history !) as the last shot reveals to us sarcastically; where (Alan Alda) listens to the TV reporter and her question about "the secret of his movie's success" to find no answer but smiling with vanity, or as a ridicule of everything !This movie is hilarious, however so believable. The performance was flawless. In fact, the whole cast was great to an extent where you feel how this is not acting at all ! The comedy is ironic and thoughtful in the same time, because of that top notch script by (Alan Alda) which was genius with some talented details : The short storyline of the old mother and her needing of lying to be happy, the big climax to achieve one victory by "the historical truth" side, and to embody the real conflict of the movie through a wonderful droll battle, not to mention small moments but so rich; like the scene of (Michael Caine) and his story about meeting (Winston Churchill); it could say a lot about the effect of WW2 on a character as disordered as his, however leaving the story as it is (true or false) is one wicked wink to us about the meaning of the movie, and its main irony.Finally, did (Alda) mean that illusion is the (Sweet Liberty) from all the annoying facts that we live in our lives ? Or that truth nowadays is the (Sweet Liberty) from all the lies that we sunk under them ? Whatever the answer is, asking the question proves how (Alda) is an intelligent movie-maker, and how he managed to make profound and entertaining comedy. Actually, it's wholly rare plus interesting for me as a scriptwriter myself and a previous student of history too.

I like this very silly movie about the making of a movie set during the Revolutionary War. History takes a back seat to the backstage madness as film crew invades a small town in the American South... ...except that this film was filmed on Long Island. Living on the Island I get great joy watching all the technical gaffes in the film, only the lead characters cars have non-New York license plates, a Long Island Railway Train goes by in the background and on it goes. You don't have to have sharp eyes to see the errors, they are glaring if you know that they are there. They don't take away from the fun, they add to it since as Alan Alda's character quickly finds out, there is nothing real about making movies.The cast is great across the board, with everyone seeming to have such a good time its infectious. See this movie, its just a lot of fun.

I just saw this on AMC the other day, and thought it was extremely funny! Michael, played by AlanAlda has written an American History which was bought by a Hollywood studio and turned into a movie; but the movie is entirely screwed up; or the battle scenes were screwed up; beautiful Michelle Pffeifer plays the girl friend; Michael Caine steals the show with his pomp and egotism; Lillian Gish plays mom of Alda; and all have a riotous time. It was good to see Gish again; I almost forgot who she was! Not much sense to this but it was fun