There Goes Somebody's Miracle...

You know, I'm praying for it.

  • Reviews
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Just This
  • About

Explore

  • All Reviews
  • Movies
  • Books
  • @ Third Coast Review
  • Film Work

Connect

Movies · September 13, 2019

Review: Give Me Liberty

A sure sign of a film’s impact is finding oneself thinking back to scenes, moments or certain lines of dialogue long after seeing it. Such is the case with Kirill Mikhanovsky’s directorial debut Give Me Liberty, a chaotic, cluttered slice of life drama about the son of Russian immigrants who gets by as a transport driver for Milwaukee’s disabled community. In a film that quite literally could induce motion sickness, one of the quieter scenes lingers after the credits roll. It happens after Vic (Chris Galust) has joined one of his clients, Tracy (Lauren ‘Lolo’ Spencer), and her family for dinner; the two retreat to her room and Vic, who has an affinity for vinyl records, teaches Tracy how to cobble together a makeshift record player with a needle, a pencil and a rolled up piece of paper.

It might be the tonal shift of the scene, a departure from the breakneck speed Mikhanovsky keeps up elsewhere, that makes it so memorable. But it’s more than that, too; it’s the sweetness of it, the quiet connection these two, who couldn’t be more different if they tried, share over something as universal as music. It speaks to the heart of Give Me Liberty, a film so frenetic (and often so funny) it’s easy to forget there’s an emotional core to it at all. But it’s there, and it’s what elevates an otherwise rocky first feature to something notable.

Vic’s day starts before dawn; it’s the middle of a Milwaukee winter, and he’s got to get to his first pick-up arranged by dispatch at the transport company. But first he has to make sure his elderly grandfather is up and ready, dressed and fed and on time to meet the friends heading to a funeral for a fellow resident in the apartment building where they all live. Already the chaos both in Vic’s day and cinematographer Wyatt Garfield’s (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Diane) camera work is intense, and we’ve only just begun. As the day goes on, everything goes further and further off track, from pick-up times missed by hours to detours to that funeral and Vic’s mom’s house and more. Colorful characters get on and off Vic’s accessible shuttle only to find themselves in for quite a ride. Between the non-stop camera work and Mikhanovsky’s own unrelenting editing, a sense of vertigo pervades the whole affair.

If you can stomach it, what’s behind all the chaos is a timely and thoughtful observation on life for those on the margins. Whether there through a language barrier, a disability, economic strife or other circumstances, Give Me Liberty gives each of its subjects, from the non-verbal Steve who’s charm jumps off the screen to the fast-talking Dima (Maxim Stoyanov) who delivers the film’s best performance, a chance to shine. In his first foray into filmmaking, Mikhanovsky exhibits a strong sense for personal connection and certainly plenty of ambition in his style. If Give Me Liberty proves successful and affords him an opportunity to do more behind the camera, his is a professional evolution worth keeping an eye on.

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

Posted By: Lisa Trifone · In: Movies

Review: The Nightingale
Films Reviewed: 2019 Recap

You’ll Also Love

2021 [in film]
Review: Eric Rohmer’s Tales of the Four Seasons
Review: Some Kind of Heaven

Get on the List

About Photo
Hello! I'm Lisa, and this is—or rather I am—Somebody's Miracle. Explore everything I'm watcing, reading and baking, all my far-flung adventures and ones closer to home. Thanks for reading.

Connect

Get on the List

Subscribe for the latest posts, musings and updates directly in your inbox.

Categories

  • Reviews
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Just This
  • About

Search

From the Archives

May 2025
S M T W T F S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    

lisabeesa

Two years ago today, I was coming off what - until Two years ago today, I was coming off what - until that point - was the biggest adventure of my life. I bought a home. I turned 40. I spent a month in Paris. I’d hit a new career milestone. Life was every bit what I imagined it could be. 

Then I walked into a first date with a guy I met on the internet and very quickly realized my (our!) best adventure had just begun. 

Two years of getting my goat (and delighting in it), because you love to see me laugh. Two years of not just making dinners but plating them, too, because you know I like a pretty plate. Two years of grand gestures not because you’re big on gestures, but because I am.

I thought I had it all figured out, and I think I would’ve been fine if you’d never walked into my life. But good grief am I glad you did. ❤️
🎄 Holiday Playlist! 🎄 It's my favorite trad 🎄 Holiday Playlist! 🎄

It's my favorite tradition (of so many!) of the season: my annual holiday playlist. Twenty-four songs. Two hours of tunes.

Sabrina Carpenter and The Kinks. My Morning Jacket and Kacey Musgraves. Ben Folds and Bette Midler and Bad Religion. 

You can listen on Spotify at the link in my bio!

Happy, happy holidays to you and yours. Wishing you a joyful season!
I’d watch Pablo Larrain’s version of paint dry I’d watch Pablo Larrain’s version of paint drying, but thankfully his latest biopic of a famous, troubled woman (after JACKIE and SPENCER) is a far more engaging fever dream of passing time and missed opportunities.

MARIA, featuring a performance by Angelina Jolie that vibrates with vulnerability, is not perfect but it is fascinating. 

Now in theaters; on Netflix next month. Full review at the link!
My phone yelled at me this morning that I was out My phone yelled at me this morning that I was out of storage space, so over a couple cups of coffee I went back through this year’s photos and videos to purge what I don’t need on my device. 

Stumbled on this snap Brian took of me over dinner back in…June?…and honestly, I just love it. I love the way he sees me and I love the way I look when I see him. ❤️

Take care of each other. That’s all.
Eight years ago this week, @justin.f.brady and I w Eight years ago this week, @justin.f.brady and I went to see @waitressmusical on Broadway, and after the show we were treated to full band karaoke with die-hard fans. 

At the end of the show tunes lovefest, @sarabareilles—who wrote the show’s music and was hosting the karaoke—took to the mic to perform Brave, and it was more cathartic than I think any of us realized in the moment. 

It was the night before the 2016 election and none of us were (looking back now) as worried as we should have been. I had early voted, the wind seemed to be at @hillaryclinton’s back and we were ready for history to be made. 

I’ve thought about (and talked about) that moment a lot in the years since - it’s a great story! But especially today, as we’re on the eve of another monumental Election Day, I am imploring anyone reading this who may still be unsure or may not yet have a plan to be brave and vote for the person who is NOT a convicted criminal, serial sexual assaulter, con-man and dictator-in-waiting. @kamalaharris is the only way forward.

We can get back to debating policy in four years. For now, please vote for humanity, for democracy, for decency and for sanity. I wanna see you be brave.
Signs of life! 👋 I feel like I’ve been in a Signs of life! 👋 

I feel like I’ve been in a fog the last week or so, and it’s going to last at least through Tuesday…but I’m here, I promise!

Got to catch @musictheaterworks’ LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (with the lovely @yersha_la_la_la for company!) and it was delightful. Great production with just a hint of that community theater patina, a bit rough around the edges. (Is it just me or is that S in “Florist” totally upside down?!)

Full review coming soon at @thirdcoastreview!
This one gets a spot on the grid! Congrats to Drew This one gets a spot on the grid! Congrats to Drew and Jean on a beautiful wedding day and the start of an exciting new chapter. (But really, thanks for such a great reason to wear my new favorite dress! 😉)
I absolutely love this time of year. 🍂🍁 I absolutely love this time of year. 🍂🍁
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Disclosure

Copyright © 2025 There Goes Somebody's Miracle... · Theme by 17th Avenue