Trade of Innocents

Even well-made films dealing with truly disturbing issues have a hard time finding a sensitive and appreciative audience. This film unfolds like the great films of old when storytelling and solid acting were as much appreciated as people jumping off a hundred story building and everything blowing up (I like those movies too but sometimes I don't mind having to think when watching a film). Trade of Innocents is compelling to watch, makes me want to take action, all the while caught-up in a beautiful shot film with actors I have always enjoyed. Sometimes the best films simply make you feel something very human. This one did that for me and I don't ask movies to do much more. I'm glad I saw it.

At the film website, three awards were won at the Breckenridge Festival of Film, Best of the Fest Drama, Best Director, 2nd Place People's Choice and two other awards. This shows that this film is recognized as exposing an ugly truth that some would rather not hear about.

I did not like the facts presented but enjoyed this film because it dramatically portrayed the problem of porn prostitution of young girls in certain countries like Cambodia. It makes us all aware of the problem that most do not know.

The film presents the point of view of the parents of these horrendously treated young girls and the tragic exploitation of them for sex.

I was not aware of this before. I also discovered that yes, it occurs right here in Canada and I am sure other places in North America.

This movie points out that situation and makes those who care, aware. There are always some who do not care about anyone but themselves.

The film keeps you occupied and drawn compassionately into the lives of the characters as if you were there as a reluctant observer wanting to help but trapped by being on the wrong side of the screen.

There is something you can do.

So glad to see a film exposing the reality of child trafficking. Much more relaxing and comfortable(?) to go and watch the Desolation of Smaug but this is about the desolation of children and you need to see it. Thought Mira Sorvino did a great job as the mother trying to cope with the overwhelming horror of seeing children being destroyed by greed, both sexual and monetary, this was well portrayed. However I had a problem with the role that Dermot Mulroney played (not his acting - he's good) in that he came across as the arrogant American. I really wish the scriptwriter had gone for a different approach here as the movie has been given world-wide release and people are rather over the "I know better than you do, I'm American" type of persona. I would have gone and worked with someone else if I'd been the Aussie! I just wish that someone now would do a film about closing down the market from a different angle. This was about stopping the "product" being available but what about a film wiping out the revolting "purchasers"? No buyers, no market. Great acting by Trieu Tran, John Billingsley and the children.

I've seen some of the other reviews on this movie and am saddened that people seem more concerned about quality acting, than the point that children are being sold as sex-slaves, right now, today! It shows how numb the world has become to horror. The heart of this movie will touch yours, I hope. But this film also reminds us of the importance of art, the power of media, and will stir you up to share, like, tweet, post, whatever else you can do to a) raise awareness of the heinous crime, and b) help prevent it happening. If it saves ONE little girl, or ONE little boy from this horror, isn't it worth it. Besides that, I actually think the storytelling is really strong, the characters have great arc, and Oscar-winner Miro Sorvino is just fantastic. The bad guy is appropriately disgusting and tormented. I would STRONGLY recommend this movie to anyone who cares about life.

This could have been so much better if they had found some actors that could actually "ACT" Dermot Mulroney and Mira Sorvino could have been replaced by two planks of wood and no one would have noticed the difference.

The Asian villain over acted his heart out! He never gave up, like a cornered rat he put up a fight.

The subject matter was never going to be an easy one to deal with, however, it was over simplified and put together like something from a Christian NGO workshop training video.

One really annoying thing about it other than the two main actors was the jumping between subtitles when the actors were "speaking Khmer" or whatever it was they were speaking and then the same actors talking in English for some reason. They should have just left it one way or the other.

Certainly not the worst movie around, but pretty poor mainly due to the pathetic script and bad acting.