1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Friendship And Growing Up In A Gritty Urban Drama Set In Post 9/11 Tumult, January 11, 2011
This review is from: Liberty Kid (DVD)
Note: This review is for Liberty Kid, NOT The Love of Jeanne Ney. The products are incorrectly merged by Amazon.
I'll be honest, I'd never heard of Ilya Chaiken's street drama "Liberty Kid." I picked it up on an impulse and was very pleasantly surprised. Authentic in tone, "Liberty Kid" breaks no new ground in plotting, but makes up for it in believable dialogue, solid performances, and lead characters that (despite their flaws) you want to succeed. Expertly capturing the tumult of post-9/11 New York, Chaiken's personal urban drama centers around two friends whose existence is splintered--but in a peripheral way--from that fateful day. It's an interesting view, one not often showcased in film, that explores the extended repercussions of the attacks even on those who had no direct involvement. "Liberty Kid" has grittiness to spare but also more heart than you might anticipate.
As I mentioned, "Liberty Kid" introduces us to two friends struggling to get by in the big city. They work on Liberty Island (where the Statue is) until the towers fall. That scene, shown only in the reactions of the characters, has true power. As the city reacts by shutting down the tourism industry, the boys are out of jobs. Derrick is a young man with ambition--this father of two wants to get his GED and go to college. Tico is more of a wild child. Desperate for money, the pair embark on a series of schemes and scams to stay above water. But as things progress, the relationship starts to splinter. As both guys mature, life leads them onto unexpected paths. But will time be able to heal old resentments or is moving on just a part of growing up?
Chaiken doesn't always take the easy road. "Liberty Kid" is a refreshingly honest portrait of friendship. We make allowances for friends, but when is enough enough? And when is forgiveness the best choice? Chaiken doesn't force an answer on her characters and that is wholly why "Liberty Kid" succeeds. Funny, frustrating, and bittersweet--I believed every moment in this film. And leads Al Thompson and Kareem Savinon manage to be both hard-edged, yet oddly likable. I was invested in the outcome of "Liberty Kid" even as I knew we weren't headed down a story book path. Definitely recommended. KGHarris, 1/11.
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