This film deserves every bit of attention that it gets! It has won a few awards in festivals and I'm not surprised.
David Scott Heck did a fantastic job interpreting "The Kid" in a modern setting. I'm surprised that no one has told this story, or any Chaplin story, in a modern setting before. The setting really helps new silent movie goers relate with the characters.
It was a relief to not see another Charlie Chaplin impersonator. After all, there is only one true Chaplin and imitating him is blasphemy in the film world. (Robert Downey Jr excluded for portraying the actual life story in CHAPLIN) When I first saw this project unfolding on Fractured Atlas I thought they would never make it. It was formed as a 501(c)(3) charity to teach the audience the importance of American film history. It does just that and beautifully.
I was pleasantly surprised when my friend shared a copy of the film with me. I was inspired to go back that night and watch the Chaplin version of the film again on youtube. Chaplin is king, but David Scott Heck did this movie pure justice. Very well done! The original film by Chaplin had a ton of filming inconsistencies and plot holes that were neatly filled by this version, without distracting the audience from the story. Unless you go back and compare it to the original, it's impossible to know how much thought and detail went into "The Kid".
I would recommend this movie to anyone familiar with, or new to, silent film making. It's a great example of early cinema and it draws the audience into a deeper appreciation of good storytelling.
The soundtrack by "Two Star Symphony" was fresh and exciting as well. I'm not familiar with the band, but they did a great job!
The cinematography was very well done and the casting was fantastic.
I highly recommend this film.
