Give Me Liberty

Kirill Mikhanovsky's ambitious film (partially shot on 16mm) follows an eventful day in the life of a young accessibly van driver in Milwaukee. Vic (Chris Galust) is the young Russian immigrant who's daily pickup routine is sidetracked when a group of mostly elderly ex-Soviets need a ride to a funeral of one of their own. Along the way, Vic tries to maneuver his regular riders into the trip but keeps getting sidetracked. LIBERTY seems to be headed into farce territory, but, eventually reveals itself to have much more on its mind. Vic is still looking for what to do with his life. The members of his community may be all lumped together as "Russians", but, as the film amply shows, the old Soviet Union was a collection of different nations, factions and religions (as is the Milwaukee inner city where the story is set). One of the movie's most amusing lines is when the smooth-talking Dima (Maxim Stoyanov) compares the bitter cold Wisconsin weather to Siberia! Mikhanovsky (who co-writes with Alice Austen) is certainly audacious in trying to pack so much into a single day (including a full blown protest turned riot), but, it works more often than not. It's overlong, and certainly over-reaches from time to time, but, it has a cumulative effectiveness. The acting (which includes a good number of debuts) is engaging, particularly Lauren Spencer as one of Vic's riders, the wheel-chair bound Tracy. Despite having a lot on his plate, Mikhanovsky is smart enough to slow down the sometimes frenetic pace to capture the tinniest moments and intimate details. The heart-to-heart talks with a bed ridden elderly man - credited only as 'Vic's Confidant' (James Watson) - form a kind of an eloquent bookend to the film. They anchor the piece, even if the title ends up being more of a question mark (Give Me Liberty?) than a declarative statement.

Anyone who has the ability to say "no" to people who try to take advantage of them will find this movie at times intolerable.

I don't happen to come from an overbearing family who expect me to orient my entire life around helping them, so I had trouble relating to the main character in this movie or to feel any sympathy for him. That main character is Vic, a young man who spends his days shuttling people with disabilities to one place and another. Some of these people are sweet and kind, but many of them are jerks. On the particular day on which this movie is set, he also agrees as a favor to taxi a group of old, horrible people to a funeral (apparently taxis, Lyfts, and public transportation don't exist in Milwaukee) and adds Dima, the movie's most noxious character, to his passenger list. Dima is a gross, hairy dude who aggressively makes sexual advances at every woman he comes across (Vic's sister among them) despite being told "no," until every woman eventually finds him so irresistible that they give in (nice message). The film is one prolonged note of chaos, as Vic valiantly tries to go about his duties while everyone yells at him, complains about how he's doing things, and makes you wonder why he doesn't drive them all off a cliff.

Vic also has a mom, who calls him over to her apartment to move a sofa in the middle of his work day and then proceeds to berate him about how he has no direction in life and should get a better job.

The film has the feel of a personal memoir, and I'm assuming this was life to a certain extent as experienced by it's writer and director. But I spent the whole movie wondering why Vic didn't just grow a pair, kick all of the freeloaders off his van (or better yet, never offer to give them a ride in the first place) and get on with his life.

There are good things about the movie. It's assuredly directed (except for the ending, an implausible mess of a scene set at a jail protest) and it's well acted by a group of unknowns. It clearly wants to bring awareness to the marginalized, and I welcome any stories that put front and center those who society normally pushes to the fringes. But it's too undisciplined and one-note to wholeheartedly recommend.

Grade: B

This film is about listening to your own voice, your conscience, to remain human. Shot with a dynamic documentary camera and authentic, but non-professional actors, it has a feeling of hyper realism, even though it is a fiction film. It might be overwhelming to watch it till the end, as there are a lot of characters and storylines, but isn't it America in it's essence - the land of immigrants, who have to work hard to reach the American dream? In this day and night struggle you might be in denial about your roots, but you're always free to choose your own destiny.

The pacing of this movie reminds me of Good Time. Intense anxiety and things happening rapidly. I'm a very anxious person, so it's like an anxiety attack plastered onscreen. I can see how people wouldn't like it - actually I had high anxiety watching this - but it's also a strangely pleasant cathartic feeling.

It never delves too deep into the negative aspects of their lives. The movie seems more relevant today considering current US protests, but everything is surface level. If you're looking for deep dives into race, disability, poverty, etc. this probably isn't gonna do it for you. It's like one wide brush stroke on a canvas, but it's a beautiful brush stroke.

The main character Vic often takes a backseat to the other characters, sometimes disappearing into the background. The actors playing Tracy and Dima have very strong onscreen presences, although everyone does a great job. A large portion of the cast has some type of disability, but the movie plays it matter-of-factly and doesn't try to tug on your heartstrings. As Vic's confidant says, "it is what it is".

The movie is almost 2 hours long but I didn't find it dragged at all. One event passes into the next quickly (and in response to another review, the sauerkraut was such a small portion of the movie, it's a weird thing to focus on for taking too much time). At 2 hours long, there are a LOT of events.

I volunteers with seniors and this movie very realistically encapsulates how it's like trying to keep them happy, all together, and safely sent to their destination.

A lot of the reviews are either 1/10 or 10/10, so it seems a polarizing film. I was hoping it would come out in theatres where I'm at, but it didn't. Still, go watch it at home! I think it's a lovely little underrated gem.

I have one criteria for movies: Do I believe in what's happening on the screen despite how fictional the story could be or not. Watching "Give Me Liberty" is that rare experience when you forget who, when and where you are, - that's how it draws you in and remains with you for a long time after it's over... This film - like no other modern American film raises the long overdue profound question: WHAT UNITES US AS A NATION? Is it desire to succeed? Yearning for wealth? Building a better life for our children? Freedom to own a gun? Or maybe it's tolerance and acceptance of our differences, no matter how varied our ethnic backgrounds might be - immigrants, minorities, of all ages, in sickness and health. Film director K. Mikhanovsky has charged his picture with insightful knowledge of life and cultural diversity, a sense of proportion, reality and integrity. Every instant of the movie feels unpredictable and unique, which indicates how much work was invested in the script. Any discerning film viewer with preconceived expectations will be able to find anything they desire: Comedy, drama, love, documentary, innocence, tears, bitter and funny self portrait from unusual angle, and sublime poetry... Lots of poetry...

p.s. Check out K. Mikhanovsky's first feature film "SONHOS DE PEIXE" ("Dreaming of Fish", shot in Brazil)