Holly

I had the privilege of watching "Holly" at the Edinburgh Film Festival last week. What a powerful and moving story! Holly is a 12 yr old Vietnamese girl who is sold into prostitution by her own family and living in a brothel in Cambodia. Patrick (an American) comes into Holly's life and decides he wants to help her. When Holly is sold again, Patrick desperately searches for her. We follow they're difficult journey through Cambodia and hope for their reunion.

Holly is one of millions of children who are sold and trafficked every day. The movie portrays this difficult issue without crossing the line. I walked away wanting to know more about the issue of child trafficking and asking how can I help? This movie should be seen by everyone because it is a beautiful story and it exposes an issue that we should no longer ignore.

Holly addresses the issue of child sexploitation that is rampant all over the world (some 2 million children are trafficked every year) and does so sensitively and without manipulation--a tall order that the team at Priority Films does with great success. American actor Ron Livington stars in the film alongside newcomer Thuy Nguyen, a Vietnamese actress who plays Holly, and together they bring to screen what is commonplace to the people at the notorious k11 redlight district in Cambodia. Although it tackles a heavy topic, the film holds on to moments of laughter and hope as we get to know the characters up close, keeping the two-hour film from being one that is too difficult to watch. I am glad a film like this is bringing the world's attention to the problem. Child prostitution needs to be stopped and this is a very good first step. It's GREAT and a film EVERYONE must see.

"Holly" is an issue-driven film, but it is neither manipulative nor overly sentimental. At its heart is it is a character-driven film, which wouldn't be nearly so successful without the fleshed-out portrayals of Patrick (Ron Livingston), the lost soul with the gradually awakening conscience, and Holly (Thuy Nguyen), the strong-willed but ultimately over-matched young Vietnamese girl. From the vibrant locations and photography to the effective editing, everything is forthright and well-done. The contemporary classical score may put some off at first, but it is top-notch composition and underscores the admirable restraint which is evident throughout. This film, which raises many issues but provides few clear-cut answers, ultimately succeeds in raising awareness of and compassion for Holly and the many who share her plight. Kudos to those who managed to get it made.

Holly is one of those all too painfully real flicks about a child prostitution who's a dime a dozen, a piece of sweet meat, for sicko foreigners, and that includes at shocking turns in the movie, corrupt police figures. Holly is so helpless, you can't help get caught up in her misery with everyone against her. Caught up in his own demons, that has him hiding out, and not wanting to return to the states is Patrick (Livingston) who befriends her. Her savior becomes his personal mission, and when she's taken, cause she's spent too much time around him, he sets off to track her down, visiting seedy bordello after another. Holly is frank and confrontingly real, some scenes so true to life, from reading articles on the subject myself, of five year old kids approaching foreigners for sex. That one early scene, where's Patrick's lured down this lane behind a fence, by a boy where two 5 year old girls proposition him, made it all believable, like banging a nerve. Another scene has a high ranking cop official, cop a bit of the young stuff in a discreet appointment, where he steals Holly's virginity, was just heartbreaking, but this is reality in this cesspool of the Middle East. Too, another scene earlier, shows a heartless made, only too quick to slap her, when she fights her, was another shock point, as being sold to her by another bent pig. The film is beautifully shot, and has you riveted through it's 110 minutes. Holly's fate where trying to get her rehabilitated and out of the life is a revolving door, where for most, once you're in, you're in, beyond savior. Holly and the other older prostitutes are well acted, better than Livingstone, who I just found ordinary in the role. But the movie's plot path is well executed, and never loses it's edge. Holly will grow on you, while being one of the most affecting fictional/child prostitute characters to hit the screen, driven by a naturalistic engaging performance. Again too is that smiling Asian MF as one of the corrupt cops. Matrioshki 2, Elephant White, Trade Of Innocents, and this. Udo Kier adds some spice a kinky, and married foreigner, out to whet his whistle. One of Chris Penn's last flicks, who funnily enough, I first made out for a predator, here.

Child 'Sexploitation' is one of the most serious issues facing our world today and I feared that any film on the topic would jump straight to scenes of an explicitly sexual nature in order to shock and disturb the audience. After having seen both 'Trade' and 'Holly', one film moved me to want to actually see a change in international laws. The other felt like a poor attempt at making me cry for five minutes with emotive music and the odd suicide.

I do not believe that turning this issue into a Hollywood tear jerker is a useful or necessary strategy to adopt and I must commend the makes of 'Holly' for engaging subtly but powerfully with the terrible conditions these children are sadly forced to endure. 'Trade' wavered between serious and stupid with scenes involving the death of a cat coming after images that represented children being forced to commit some horrendous acts. I found this unengaging and at times offensive to the cause. If I had wanted a cheap laugh I would not have signed up for a film on child trafficking.

For anyone who would like to watch a powerful film that actually means something I would suggest saving the money on the cinema ticket for the release of 'Holly'.