Cliffs of Freedom is a 2019 independent historical drama romance film based on Marianne Metropoulos's novel Daughter of Destiny. Produced by Casey Cannon and Metropoulos, the film is the directorial debut film by Van Ling from a screenplay by Ling, Metropoulos, and Kevin Bernhardt.[6] It stars Tania Raymonde, Jan Uddin, Raza Jaffrey, Patti LuPone, and Christopher Plummer.[7]
| Cliffs of Freedom | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Van Ling |
| Written by |
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| Based on | Daughter of Destiny by Marianne Metropoulos |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Cory Geryak |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | George Kallis |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Round Hill Media |
Release dates |
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Running time | 137 minutes[1][2][3] |
| Country | United States |
| Languages |
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| Box office | $300,842[4][5] |
The film was released in the United States on March 1, 2019 by Round Hill Media.[5]
Plot
editThis article needs an improved plot summary. (October 2020) |
The film is a story of an ill-fated romance between a young and beautiful Greek village girl and a conflicted Turkish officer during the dawn of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in 1821. Twenty-year-old Anna Christina (Tania Raymonde) is smitten by Colonel Tariq (Jan Uddin), a rising star in the Turkish army who has growing doubts about his countrymen's brutal methods of governance, and who had once spared her life on a cliff-top when she was a child. However, their budding romance brings tragedy to her family and her village.
Swearing revenge against the Turks, Christina joins the Greek rebellion and inadvertently becomes a local symbol of the Greek resistance movement, inspiring her countrymen and attracting the ire of the Turks, who place a bounty on her head. Having believed that she could leave her feelings behind, Christina must face off against the man who still loves her and wants to keep her safe, but who has now been tasked with her capture. Their encounters and skirmishes inevitably lead to a tragic confrontation during a pivotal battle between the Greeks and Turks that will change the course of history.[2][8]
Cast
edit- Tania Raymonde as Anna Christina
- Josey Smith as Young Anna Christina
- Jan Uddin as Tariq
- Raza Jaffrey as Sunal Demir
- Patti LuPone as Yia-Yia
- Christopher Plummer as Thanasi
- Billy Zane as Christo
- Lance Henriksen as Old Demetri
- Jamie Christian Ward as Young Demetri
- Dino Kelly as Vangeli
- Costas Mandylor as Constantine Vakrinos
- Kevin Corrigan as Stavros Valvianos
- Raquel Cassidy as Christina Vakrinos
- Carlo Rota as Mustapha Bey
- Ruth Gemmell as Varvara Vakrinos
- John Thomas Salazar as Nico Vakrinos
- Mike A. Salazar as Alexi Vakrinos
- Ivan Kaye as Ghazi Kalif
- Simon Kassianides as Gregory
- Dennis Boutsikaris as Theodoros Kolokotronis
- Khalah Mitchell as Harem Dancer
Production
editFilming
editPrincipal photography began on October 12, 2016, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Cory Geryak serving as cinematographer.[9] Filming wrapped on January 10, 2017.[10] In June 2017, George Kallis was revealed to be scoring the film.[11]
Release
editBox office
editThe film was released in the United States on March 1, 2019 by Round Hill Media, grossing $16,350 on its opening weekend.[12][5] As of April 20, 2019, Cliffs of Freedom has grossed an estimated $72,476 in North America and $228,336 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $300,842.[4]
Critical response
editMichael Ordoña of the Los Angeles Times gave a mixed review by stating "Cliffs of Freedom is a bit rocky, but takes its leap in earnest. The game production does its best with limited resources, thanks, in part, to an impressive supporting cast. Apart from Christopher Plummer, it boasts the likes of Patti Lupone, Kevin Corrigan, and Billy Zane in the — shall we say — Billy Zane role: the smarmy, traitorous Greek collaborator with an eye for Anna Christina; one half-expects him to declare, 'I make my own luck!'. The dialogue is often stiff, the action and plotting unlikely, making the romance hard to swallow. The appealing Jan Uddin and Tania Raymonde do generate enough chemistry in their fleeting time together to keep the proposition afloat. However, the climactic moment, though heavily telegraphed, will leave many scratching their heads."[13]
References
edit- ^ "Cliffs of Freedom (2019)". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- ^ a b "Cliffs of Freedom (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ "Cliffs of Freedom Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ a b "Cliffs of Freedom (2019)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Cliffs of Freedom (2019) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (January 10, 2019). "Watch Trailer for New Film 'Cliffs of Freedom', Featuring Patti LuPone and Christopher Plummer". Playbill. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ "Cliffs of Freedom Cast and Crew". Mubi. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ "Cliffs of Freedom Movie". Apostolos Papapostolou. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ Gomez, Adrian (October 12, 2016). "LuPone, Plummer begin filming 'Cliffs of Freedom' in New Mexico". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ Kalafatis, Joanna (January 10, 2017). "Greek Drama 'Cliffs of Freedom' Wraps Production in New Mexico". Hollywood Greek Reporter. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ "George Kallis to Score 'Cliffs of Freedom'". Film Music Reporter. June 8, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ McNary, Dave (January 18, 2019). "Film News Roundup: 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' Trailer Sets Sony Pictures Record". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- ^ Ordoña, Michael (February 28, 2019). "Review: Christopher Plummer and good intentions cannot save 'Cliffs of Freedom'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 10, 2019.