I won't say too much about this movie, because it's not worth it. I just saw a wasted concept being flushed down the drain. This movie starts with the potential of being a great franchise, but ends up being the most predictable and depressing mess I've seen in ages. Maybe I should give it three or a two grade because of the great intro, but the fact that they spoiled this opportunity only makes it worse. This movie could have generated a real and credible critique of the human condition in a society who blindly is moving towards science fiction cynicism. No wonder Donald Trump became president when you see how Hollywood prioritize potential. It's so sad to see the whole movie industry of Hollywood flush itself down the toilet with one movie worse than the other, and trust me, this is one of the worse.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Finding Home
(2014)
Poor film about heartbreaking topic
21 August 2016
As stories which victims of trafficking goes, they tend to move you and mobilize your empathy, so in if I'd let that decide my verdict I'd rate it 10/10. All the victims of this movie deserves top grades for their bravery, their openness and their progress in life. They show the true face of a broken heart, which is Cambodia.
Now..
The filmmakers and the protagonist is utterly problematic and leaves this movie as no more than Christian propaganda, only barely disguised to be able to communicate to a wider audience. If this was the only problem of the film it'd still be OK. I'm not against Christianity per se. My major issue with this movie is the filmmaker himself, who spoils this brilliant opportunity to say something deep and overwhelming about the situation among many young women, and instead decides to be a propaganda tool for a cooperation run by the Sarah Palin of aid; Stephanie Freed.
I tried hard to keep my mind on the subject here, my eyes on the victims, my attention on their stories, but this self-obsessed dilettante is constantly in the way of exploring or engaging in any deeper content. They are not exposing truth in this movie, they are talking about one American self proclaimed "soccer mom"s relationship to three young, foreign girls.
If she would stay away from the movie, or only function as a voice-over it'd be fine, but here she's trying to be Werner Herzog or something, and she just doesn't have the intellect or voice to do so. It's speculative, instrumental and last but not least; dangerous. It's colonialism through a lens, it's treating the people of this country as fools and it warps the image of the content.
In the end I applause the Khmer people of this movie, but it's summarized in one sentence, where an American leader of an orphanage tells one of the girls; "the bravest thing you've ever done is to not kill your child" (abortion).
The Americans who goes over to Cambodia or other countries in similar situations need to realize that these problems are generated because of incidents induced by their own nations policies and warfare. Cambodia will not be saved by narcissists who walks around catching former prostitutes like they were cute Pokemon's.
That Netflix chose to buy this thing is to me incredible. That they chose to call it a documentary is even worse. This is not a documentary. It's an advertising movie for the businesses of Stephanie Freed, and it contributes to a banalized and limiting view on both prostitution and the nation of Cambodia.
Stephanie Freed is using these women to become the symbol of charity, but in the end she's only exploiting them, like everyone else has done in their life already. They don't need a poser with a middle age identity crisis to use them as puppets, they need real and practical help.
This is not a movie. This is not reality. It's not even trash. It's neo liberal and conservative Christian propaganda, double dipped in YES WE CAN style and rhetoric.
It's a fad, a fluke, a jippo and a disgrace,
"America is not the world."
Now..
The filmmakers and the protagonist is utterly problematic and leaves this movie as no more than Christian propaganda, only barely disguised to be able to communicate to a wider audience. If this was the only problem of the film it'd still be OK. I'm not against Christianity per se. My major issue with this movie is the filmmaker himself, who spoils this brilliant opportunity to say something deep and overwhelming about the situation among many young women, and instead decides to be a propaganda tool for a cooperation run by the Sarah Palin of aid; Stephanie Freed.
I tried hard to keep my mind on the subject here, my eyes on the victims, my attention on their stories, but this self-obsessed dilettante is constantly in the way of exploring or engaging in any deeper content. They are not exposing truth in this movie, they are talking about one American self proclaimed "soccer mom"s relationship to three young, foreign girls.
If she would stay away from the movie, or only function as a voice-over it'd be fine, but here she's trying to be Werner Herzog or something, and she just doesn't have the intellect or voice to do so. It's speculative, instrumental and last but not least; dangerous. It's colonialism through a lens, it's treating the people of this country as fools and it warps the image of the content.
In the end I applause the Khmer people of this movie, but it's summarized in one sentence, where an American leader of an orphanage tells one of the girls; "the bravest thing you've ever done is to not kill your child" (abortion).
The Americans who goes over to Cambodia or other countries in similar situations need to realize that these problems are generated because of incidents induced by their own nations policies and warfare. Cambodia will not be saved by narcissists who walks around catching former prostitutes like they were cute Pokemon's.
That Netflix chose to buy this thing is to me incredible. That they chose to call it a documentary is even worse. This is not a documentary. It's an advertising movie for the businesses of Stephanie Freed, and it contributes to a banalized and limiting view on both prostitution and the nation of Cambodia.
Stephanie Freed is using these women to become the symbol of charity, but in the end she's only exploiting them, like everyone else has done in their life already. They don't need a poser with a middle age identity crisis to use them as puppets, they need real and practical help.
This is not a movie. This is not reality. It's not even trash. It's neo liberal and conservative Christian propaganda, double dipped in YES WE CAN style and rhetoric.
It's a fad, a fluke, a jippo and a disgrace,
"America is not the world."
- Steven Patrick Morrissey
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