The effects of Derrick's wars -- multiple, low-key, endless -- were in motion long before he went to Afghanistan.
Comment
03/21/08
Liberty Kid (2007)
86 %
Reviews Counted: 14 Fresh: 12 Rotten:2 Average Rating: 7.1/10
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Synopsis: In the aftermath of 9/11, Derrick and Tico lose their jobs at the Statue of Liberty. As the two friends try to find their bearings, and earn a living, they are torn in increasingly different directions: Derrick ponders enlisting in the army, and Tico starts dealing drugs. Shot in and around... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Al Thompson, Kareem Savinon, Anny Mariano
Director: Ilya Chaiken
Screenwriter: Ilya Chaiken
Producer: Mike S. Ryan, Larry Fessenden, Roger Kass
Composer: Jeff Grace
Screenwriter: Ilya Chaiken
Producer: Mike S. Ryan, Larry Fessenden, Roger Kass
Composer: Jeff Grace
Reviews
1 - 14 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
As volatile as the subject matter is here, Liberty Kid is shockingly subtle. Massive aspects about the relationship between Tico and Derrick are only inferred and the performances of the leads are really quite good.
02/19/08
[Director] Chaiken has a keen eye and ear for street-level realism and an evident love of the city's as-yet-ungentrified fringes.
02/01/08
Top Critic
There is no shortage of films about the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but there is a lack of good ones. The low-budget indie Liberty Kid, produced by downtown auteur Larry Fessenden, is one of those that succeeds.
01/11/08
Unanswered questions about Derrick's kids and Spanish-speaking mother abound, and their all-too-infrequent interactions point to a hard-knuckled realism about post-9/11 New York that begs to be seen.
01/10/08
Evident throughout is Chaiken's ability to patiently build a scene without fanfare or artifice.
01/10/08
Top Critic
The strong performances and Chaiken's vivid NYC locations, lend the film unexpected resonance.
01/10/08
Even though Liberty Kid is a small film, much of it is deeply poignant; it enhances our compassion for all the ghosts of Sept. 11.
01/10/08
Top Critic
Chaiken's subtle narrative touch, along with the exceptionally strong performances of leads Al Thompson and Kareem Savinon, gives this one a rare emotional pull.
01/10/08
Top Critic
Top Critic
Another good, no-budget work from New York indie kingpin Larry Fessenden and his production company, Glass Eye Pix.
01/10/08
Chaiken's focus drives home the fact that collateral damage comes in many forms and marginal lives are easily derailed.
01/09/08
Produced by indie stalwart Larry Fessenden, the sophomore feature from writer-director Ilya Chaiken stages an uncommonly acute, deftly played drama of the New York working class.
01/08/08
1 - 14 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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• Liberty Kid at Rotten Tomatoes
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