Give Me Liberty

Give Me Liberty is an indie film from 2019 that is about a day in the life of a driver of one of those vans that transport disabled people. This driver, Chris Galust, has such a harried day that I almost had an anxiety attack while watching it (he's always on the radio with his boss, saying he will be there "in ten minutes"). But over the course of the film I began to appreciate its rhythm. It is probably most notable for casting actual disabled people.

Galust's day starts when his grandfather, an ancient Russian man, almost burns their apartment down. He likes to cook, you see. His neighbors. all elderly Russians, press him to take them to the funeral of a woman from the building. This violates all sorts of rules, and will make him late, but he can't say no. Later he will pick up the spirited Lauren "Lolo" Spencer, who has very limited mobility, and she will give him hell, though he goes to great lengths to accommodate her needs.

The film was directed by Kirill Mikhanovsky, and while it's on a shoestring budget (many of the actors are not professionals) it has an urban grittiness (it's set in Milwaukee) that leaps from the screen. Galust, a first-time actor, is marvelous at expressing the exasperation of his job (I was reminded somewhat of the film Training Day, which has the same structure, but with a much higher body count). Spencer actually got some Oscar buzz, which was pie-in-the-sky thinking, but I hope that there are more roles that will come along that will suit her.

A friend of mine takes these kind of vans, and I wonder if all of them are wild rides like this one.