Holly

After seeing the movie last night I was left with a sense of the hopelessness faced by organisations trying to tackle the problem the film portrays. The scale of the prostitution seems so large that it's hard to see how it can be defeated without major governmental changes in Cambodia.

Anyway, on with the review.

Although it is a sombre movie with an uncomfortable central relationship this is a very compelling film, and I'd even go so far as to say it was enjoyable. The film was well edited for the running time and the performance by Thuy Nguyen was excellent. I also felt Ron Livingston played a very difficult role well.

It would have been nice to have a little more insight into why Patrick feels he has to help Holly, but maybe the reason is a simple as he explains to Chris Penn's character. I won't explain it here - go see the movie.

This is a good, thought-provoking film with obviously good intentions. I hope it gets a wide enough release to reach a decent sized audience and gain more support for the K-11 Project.

Alright, this is one of those types of movies that will sinks deep into your psyche and stay with you for a long, long time. Especially because this particular, horrible child abuse is taking place every single day in countries around the world.

First of all, a sincere admiration to the people behind this movie, for bringing this type of movie into existence, for having the guts to make a movie about this type of taboo, that we all know exists, but no one really talks about. It is a bold movie, but a powerful movie, a movie that hit you right in the face and leaves an impression forever. So, hats off to the people who made this film possible.

And also to the actors and actresses who starred in the movie, be it lead roles or supporting roles, or even smaller roles that are not really important to the overall story. It is good that some people have the guts and courage to participate in making a movie about this terrible daily happening. And I admire Ron Livingston, Chris Penn and Udo Kier for their performances in "Holly" and for their ability to participate in this type of movie. In particular, I must mention Ron Livingston for his ability to portray such different characters as he have throughout his career, that he can manage this type of variety is just phenomenal. And also Udo Kier in the role of the German guy, giving a fairly good, though stereotypical, portrait of a sex tourist.

Now, the story told in "Holly" is a story about child prostitution, slavery, human trafficking and more importantly, the story of a man's willingness to make a difference, even if just for a single soul. You should take to heart that the story deals with a very serious matter, and you might be offended by it. But in my eyes, the movie managed to take the matter of child prostitution, slavery, etc. and make it into a good story without being too graphic or without becoming a sleaze-fest.

I am not familiar with the circumstances of which these events actually take place every day, but it is my belief that the movie portrayed this in a believable manner and I suspect that there has been some intensive research going on prior to starting shooting the movie.

Now, there isn't a whole lot going on in the movie, yet "Holly" strikes you like a 40-ton freight train. It just has that much impact and levity. This is really a movie that needed be told a long time ago, and I hope that it helps to open the eyes for some people to what is really happening in countries outside our own little, closed worlds of safety and familiar habits. However, what does go on in the movie is straight to the point and very much in your face, leaving you with nothing else to do than take it all in and take it to heart.

Having seen the movie, I feel that this is a movie that will be staying with me for a long, long time. It has profoundly set some marks in me and opened my eyes up to the world around me. And remember, you might think that your effort might not make a difference, because you are just one person, but take into consideration that you are not the only one thinking so, and together we can make a difference.

Sorry, didn't mean to go all preachy, but back to the movie. If you haven't already gotten acquainted with the movie "Holly", you definitely need to get around to doing so. Purchase the movie, rent it, borrow it, whatever it takes, just get to it. This is one of those movies that you have to see. I am very grateful that I got acquainted with this movie, and I wasn't even aware of this particular gem, until I found it by sheer random coincidence.

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.

Wow, this film had a huge impact on me, it moved me,. It is an amazing story about a girl in Cambodia who is sold into the sex trade. I can not stop thinking about the fate of the little girl named Holly. The setting of the film is realistic, The film was an eye opener, I can not imagine anyone walking away from it with out wanting to help make a change with this horrifying problem that exsists.

The content of the film was very very moving. It was one of the best films that I have seen this year. The

girl who plays Holly does a fantastic job with her character. Ron Livinston gives a fantastic performance. The film moved me to tears, It tells an important message that needs to be heard worldwide. Everyone should go see this film. I think this film will make a difference, I loved it!

I saw this recently and I must say, I was moved by the factual basis of the story. However, "Holly" as a movie did not quite work. I am however, looking forward to watching the documentary which the producers who organised this project had made because I think that would be a much more compelling work than this film.

The international cast was composed of B-class actors but their acting was appropriate, and I must give a special mention for the young actress who played Holly. This was her first movie role and she did a very nice job, considering hers is the most challenging part.

Ron Livingston was adequate but bland as Patrick, the American whose quest is to "save" Holly, but Chris Penn was good in this, his final role. Unfortunately, despite my mostly favourable opinion of Virginie Ledoyen and Udo Kier, both of these actors were very much forgettable and did not do their best work in this film.

I believe in the film's message and intention, but I have to be fair, so I rate "Holly" 3 stars based on its shortcomings as a movie. But I think the subject matter deserves serious consideration and I am pleased that the people behind this movie have made a documentary as well which I hope will have its debut on BBC and other TV networks.