Respite

The narrative of Respite is compelling, dark and dramatic as it weaves a story around cultural taboos, through the adage "win at any cost", along with peripheral mosaics of savage acts against humanity, only to twist, interlace and ultimately reveal its fully entwined tapestry of truth.

The production reveals a sensitive history filled with challenges requiring moderation and restraint, pivoting on the admission of complicit consent of a western force embedding itself along side unrecognizable foreign customs.

The juxtaposition of personal consuming grief and professional credos weigh heavy against the omnipresent battle of good over evil and light over dark.

The evocative score adds a haunting underlayment artfully enriching the audience experience with a soulful shroud of emotion.

In one word, Respite is - compelling.

I did not enjoy 'Respite'. First of all the dialogue was trite; the characters in no way communicate as normal people would. It's very stilted, formal and over dramatic. Second, the viewer comes away with no understanding of the abusers' internal rationale for their actions beyond the prurient, so the film offers no illumination or human insight on the issue it's attempting to address. Finally, the acting varied widely from a few decent performances to outright BAD-the ending scene is basically comical. In short, it's a film best forgotten.

This story is an important one & one where we can all agree must be told. I can see where the writers are bringing about an awareness for those who suffer at the hands of others.

This film held my interest from the beginning and never slowed down. A compelling story, well crafted plot, and a great job of editing.

The actors gave some great performances, particularly Monte Bezell as Jimmy Baz, and Julián Juaqin as Alves.

I watched Respite and wish I could have that 90 minutes of my life back. I have no idea what the "filmmakers" were thinking. Respite tells a tale of childhood abduction and prostitution in the Middle East, which could have been an intriguing subject except for the lurid way the producers approached it, using cliched characters and cheesy dialogue. The ending is heavy-handed and the acting is amateur, the whole thing is painful to watch. I gave it 2 stars for a couple of reasons (for example the actor who played Alves was interesting and occasionally the Jimmy Baz character showed depth) but otherwise this is a cheap and unintelligent movie that does not have actors strong enough to save it.