By coincidence, I happened to watch 2 movies dealing with the same subject in 2 days. One a video rental, the other a Lifetime miniseries on Hallmark.
Both deal with the subject of women and young children being kidnapped and sold in a modern day form of slavery.
Trade is a movie seen from the eyes of a Mexican teenager following the trail of his 13 year old sister and her kidnappers across the border. Human Trafficking mostly follows from the point of view of an NYPD agent working with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In both movies, the women are brought from all over the world into Mexico and then into the US by walking across the Mexican border.
Both show Mexican cops hand in glove with the traders. In both movies there is a scene where the Mexican cops get to "sample the merchandise" when it is being en route.
In Trade, the group is caught by the border police in the US and placed in detention until they can be sent back to Mexico. And the American officials simply turn away when one of the women tries to explain that they have been kidnapped.
Both movies are very realistic without being sensational or titillating. The horrors the girls and children (little boys and girls) face are unimaginable.
In Human Trafficking an entire set of young children is sequestered in a container and sent on a ship bound for Saudi Arabia on a 10 day journey from Mexico when their pimp gets news that the cops are about to raid his den.
Trade introduces 2 new child actors who are absolutely brilliant in their roles. Kevin Kline is the only well known actor in that movie and is in more of a supporting role.
Human Trafficking has a star cast of Donald Sutherland, Mira Sorvino and Robert Carlyle (the Scottish guy from Full Monty) who turns out an amazingly chilly performance as a Eastern European Sex Trade boss.
The entire situation of Human Trafficking is summed up absolutely eloquently in Mira Sorvino's press statement at the end of that movie.
Worth a watch for the realistic view of a universal problem. As Sorvino said "It could be your daughter, your sister, your best friend next"
Also published on desicritics.org
Showing posts with label Movie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movie. Show all posts
Monday, September 15, 2008
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
The best films you've never seen
The Los Angeles Times film critic was in an L.A.-area bookstore and
stopped by the DVD section. There, prominently featured, was a display
devoted to the films in his new book, "Never Coming to a Theater Near
You".
"It was like they'd made a movie out of my book," he says, still in
wonderment, in a phone interview from his southern California home.
Turan doesn't expect bookstores and video stores to routinely build
shrines to his recommendations. He does hope, however, that "Never
Coming to a Theater Near You" serves as a handbook for curious film
lovers who, in looking for a good film, need a way to tunnel through
heaps of dreck in order to find worthy films that just didn't get much
attention the first time around.
"I envision this book to be a guide for the perplexed -- to be like a
video store in your mind," he says. "People are so hungry for the kind
of films this book represents, entertaining works that don't talk down
to them."
The 150-plus movies Turan writes about in "Never Coming" -- an edited
collection of his reviews of the past decade or so -- are ones he
describes as "indelible ... I would see any of these again in a moment."
The book is organized for easy browsing at a video store, divided into
sections on English-language films, foreign-language films,
documentaries, classics and retrospectives.
Turan isn't necessarily biased against studio films, or in favor of
obscure independent works, complex foreign-language films or
good-for-you documentaries.
Indeed, many of the films he highlights had top-notch casts and earned
good reviews at the time. However, for whatever reason, they simply
slipped through the cracks at the multiplex -- and,even when they
emerged at the video store six months later, were buried under a sea of
blockbuster effluvia.
Among the better-known films reviewed in the book are "Ronin," a
crackling thriller starring Robert De Niro and directed by John
Frankenheimer (with some "impressive car chases," Turan writes with
understatement); "High Fidelity," the John Cusack film based on the Nick
Hornby novel about music and relationships; "Spirited Away," the
already-classic work of Japanese animation; "Theremin: An Electronic
Odyssey," a documentary about the inventor of the strange
electronic instrument; and "The Third Man," director Carol Reed's
classic work, from a script by Graham Greene, set -- and filmed -- in
the bombed-out rubble of postwar Vienna (&featuring Orson Welles' great
"cuckoo clock" speech).
Turan also singles out lesser-known works such as "Pipe Dream" (with
Martin Donovan and Mary-Louise Parker), the French film "Dry Cleaning"
and the documentary "East Side Story" -- the
latter a particular favorite.
"It sounds like parody," says Turan of this film, which is about the
socialist musicals of the USSR and Iron Curtain countries: films with
titles such as "Tractor Drivers" and "No Cheating Darling," made under
the supervision of allegedly humorless apparatchiks. Stalin was actually
a fan of the musicals.
"There is stuff at which your jaw just drops, and yet they were hugely
popular," says Turan. "It's an interesting corner of film history."
Though the book doesn't have any particular theme, one striking thread
is the names that seem to appear over and over, such as writer and
director David Mamet, or now-famous people who were unknown at the
time they made these small films, such as "Lord of the Rings" director
Peter Jackson (represented by "Heavenly Creatures") and Oscar winner
Russell Crowe (who was in the 1992 Australian film "Proof").
"It's great to see talented people have success," says Turan. Moreover,
their films are accessible even to people who don't live near a
well-stocked video store, thanks to Netflix, Amazon.com and other
Web-based services, he says.
Turan, who's been the L.A. Times film critic for more than a decade,
knows his picks are subjective. ("God doesn't talk to me," he says.) If
ticket buyers want to enjoy car-exploding
action films, that's their prerogative.
"I never try to change anyone's mind," he says. "It can't be done. Even
critics don't want to
acknowledge how personal their taste is."
But he can't help being frustrated at most of the fare he's had to watch
over the years. Yes, he gets paid to do it, but the work can be soul
deadening after awhile.
"It's not just that we see bad films, but bad films of a type we've seen
so many times before," says Turan.
The films in "Never Coming to a Theater Near You," he says, make his
profession worthwhile.
"These movies fulfill what films can do," he says. "The films in the
book are ones that saved my life."
stopped by the DVD section. There, prominently featured, was a display
devoted to the films in his new book, "Never Coming to a Theater Near
You".
"It was like they'd made a movie out of my book," he says, still in
wonderment, in a phone interview from his southern California home.
Turan doesn't expect bookstores and video stores to routinely build
shrines to his recommendations. He does hope, however, that "Never
Coming to a Theater Near You" serves as a handbook for curious film
lovers who, in looking for a good film, need a way to tunnel through
heaps of dreck in order to find worthy films that just didn't get much
attention the first time around.
"I envision this book to be a guide for the perplexed -- to be like a
video store in your mind," he says. "People are so hungry for the kind
of films this book represents, entertaining works that don't talk down
to them."
The 150-plus movies Turan writes about in "Never Coming" -- an edited
collection of his reviews of the past decade or so -- are ones he
describes as "indelible ... I would see any of these again in a moment."
The book is organized for easy browsing at a video store, divided into
sections on English-language films, foreign-language films,
documentaries, classics and retrospectives.
Turan isn't necessarily biased against studio films, or in favor of
obscure independent works, complex foreign-language films or
good-for-you documentaries.
Indeed, many of the films he highlights had top-notch casts and earned
good reviews at the time. However, for whatever reason, they simply
slipped through the cracks at the multiplex -- and,even when they
emerged at the video store six months later, were buried under a sea of
blockbuster effluvia.
Among the better-known films reviewed in the book are "Ronin," a
crackling thriller starring Robert De Niro and directed by John
Frankenheimer (with some "impressive car chases," Turan writes with
understatement); "High Fidelity," the John Cusack film based on the Nick
Hornby novel about music and relationships; "Spirited Away," the
already-classic work of Japanese animation; "Theremin: An Electronic
Odyssey," a documentary about the inventor of the strange
electronic instrument; and "The Third Man," director Carol Reed's
classic work, from a script by Graham Greene, set -- and filmed -- in
the bombed-out rubble of postwar Vienna (&featuring Orson Welles' great
"cuckoo clock" speech).
Turan also singles out lesser-known works such as "Pipe Dream" (with
Martin Donovan and Mary-Louise Parker), the French film "Dry Cleaning"
and the documentary "East Side Story" -- the
latter a particular favorite.
"It sounds like parody," says Turan of this film, which is about the
socialist musicals of the USSR and Iron Curtain countries: films with
titles such as "Tractor Drivers" and "No Cheating Darling," made under
the supervision of allegedly humorless apparatchiks. Stalin was actually
a fan of the musicals.
"There is stuff at which your jaw just drops, and yet they were hugely
popular," says Turan. "It's an interesting corner of film history."
Though the book doesn't have any particular theme, one striking thread
is the names that seem to appear over and over, such as writer and
director David Mamet, or now-famous people who were unknown at the
time they made these small films, such as "Lord of the Rings" director
Peter Jackson (represented by "Heavenly Creatures") and Oscar winner
Russell Crowe (who was in the 1992 Australian film "Proof").
"It's great to see talented people have success," says Turan. Moreover,
their films are accessible even to people who don't live near a
well-stocked video store, thanks to Netflix, Amazon.com and other
Web-based services, he says.
Turan, who's been the L.A. Times film critic for more than a decade,
knows his picks are subjective. ("God doesn't talk to me," he says.) If
ticket buyers want to enjoy car-exploding
action films, that's their prerogative.
"I never try to change anyone's mind," he says. "It can't be done. Even
critics don't want to
acknowledge how personal their taste is."
But he can't help being frustrated at most of the fare he's had to watch
over the years. Yes, he gets paid to do it, but the work can be soul
deadening after awhile.
"It's not just that we see bad films, but bad films of a type we've seen
so many times before," says Turan.
The films in "Never Coming to a Theater Near You," he says, make his
profession worthwhile.
"These movies fulfill what films can do," he says. "The films in the
book are ones that saved my life."
Your Hobbit name & your elven name
http://www.chriswetherell.com/hobbit/
pretty neat.....
Thanks Nitin for sending this in.
pretty neat.....
Thanks Nitin for sending this in.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Spoiler for the Web Quest on Da Vinci
Now, My spoiler is below, dont look if u want to solve it for yourself.
These are the answers to solve the original Da Vinci Quest .
1. leonardo
2. the last supper
3. denon
4. go to www.robertlangdon.com
5. click 'contact'
6. send an e-mail to the address given (auto-response)
7. go to www.relic-bay.com as instructed by the email
8. search for 'LSPDV'
9. click the advert to the Zurich bank website
10. enter name 'marie denarnaud'
11. enter account number '1123581321'
12. call 1212-782-9920 for website address
13. go to www.doubleknightbooks.com
14. click 'enter our site' button
15. click 'employee message board' link
16. enter name 'jonas faukman'
17. enter password 'venice'
18. click 'Jonas, I've got the key!' message link
19. click the 'www.robertlangdon.com/secretpage.htm' link
20. enter password 'ankh'
21. enter 'the truth will be told in 2003'
22. call 1212-782-9932 for a message from Dan Brown, the author of 'Da Vinci Code'
Ok and here are the answers for the second quest:
1. the mona lisa
2. paris
3. the priory of sion
4. kryptos
5. ww
6. is there no help for the widows son
7. masons
8. e pluribus unum
9. click on the left eye of the face of mona lisa (her right, your left).
These are the answers to solve the original Da Vinci Quest .
1. leonardo
2. the last supper
3. denon
4. go to www.robertlangdon.com
5. click 'contact'
6. send an e-mail to the address given (auto-response)
7. go to www.relic-bay.com as instructed by the email
8. search for 'LSPDV'
9. click the advert to the Zurich bank website
10. enter name 'marie denarnaud'
11. enter account number '1123581321'
12. call 1212-782-9920 for website address
13. go to www.doubleknightbooks.com
14. click 'enter our site' button
15. click 'employee message board' link
16. enter name 'jonas faukman'
17. enter password 'venice'
18. click 'Jonas, I've got the key!' message link
19. click the 'www.robertlangdon.com/secretpage.htm' link
20. enter password 'ankh'
21. enter 'the truth will be told in 2003'
22. call 1212-782-9932 for a message from Dan Brown, the author of 'Da Vinci Code'
Ok and here are the answers for the second quest:
1. the mona lisa
2. paris
3. the priory of sion
4. kryptos
5. ww
6. is there no help for the widows son
7. masons
8. e pluribus unum
9. click on the left eye of the face of mona lisa (her right, your left).
Da Vinci Code Web Quest
Guess most of you would have read the book. Have you visited the authors site. Really worth a visit. Especially if you would like to view the art and churches described in the Robert Langdon books.
If u do visit the site, try your hand and brain at the code deciphering.
Regarding what Dan Brown has to say about the deciphering problem :
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about The Web Quest
I've solved the Caesar Box, but I see nowhere to type the answer. Is something wrong with the page?
No, everything you need is there. Consider typing the answer somewhere ELSE.
I've reached Robert Langdon's site, but I don't know what to do.
You might consider writing Mr. Langdon an e-mail to ask him what to do. His address is on his website.
I've written Robert Langdon an E-mail, but he never wrote back.
Langdon ALWAYS writes back...immediately. If you have an automated spam filter, occasionally filters will block his response. You might try turning off your filtering. Also, Langdon will only respond to you once in every 24 hour period.
I need the password for the Swiss Bank account, but I don't have a copy of the novel. What should I do?
Well, aside from the obvious, you might consider stopping by a library, calling a friend who does have the book, or (if you're really impatient) you might try the first ten digits of the Fibonacci Sequence.
Part of the contest requires me to call a U.S. phone number, but I don't know the international access codes. What do I do?
Did we ever say this was going to be easy? You might check your phone book's international information page.
Did somebody actually win this contest? What was the prize?
Yes. That honor goes to Trent Anderson of Big Lake, Minnesota. Trent is the official winner of The Da Vinci Code Web Quest. His name was randomly selected from more than a thousand finalists who completed the quest within the April deadline. Dan Brown called Trent personally to give him the good news. As the winner, Trent will become a character in Dan's next novel. The only question is... will he be a hero or a villain?
I'm still having trouble solving the quest. Can you give me a hint regarding a specific area?
Sorry, no hints! We suggest you contact a friend and solve the contest together. It's more fun that way. We promise the solution exists. Thousands of people have now made it to the end.
If u do visit the site, try your hand and brain at the code deciphering.
Regarding what Dan Brown has to say about the deciphering problem :
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about The Web Quest
I've solved the Caesar Box, but I see nowhere to type the answer. Is something wrong with the page?
No, everything you need is there. Consider typing the answer somewhere ELSE.
I've reached Robert Langdon's site, but I don't know what to do.
You might consider writing Mr. Langdon an e-mail to ask him what to do. His address is on his website.
I've written Robert Langdon an E-mail, but he never wrote back.
Langdon ALWAYS writes back...immediately. If you have an automated spam filter, occasionally filters will block his response. You might try turning off your filtering. Also, Langdon will only respond to you once in every 24 hour period.
I need the password for the Swiss Bank account, but I don't have a copy of the novel. What should I do?
Well, aside from the obvious, you might consider stopping by a library, calling a friend who does have the book, or (if you're really impatient) you might try the first ten digits of the Fibonacci Sequence.
Part of the contest requires me to call a U.S. phone number, but I don't know the international access codes. What do I do?
Did we ever say this was going to be easy? You might check your phone book's international information page.
Did somebody actually win this contest? What was the prize?
Yes. That honor goes to Trent Anderson of Big Lake, Minnesota. Trent is the official winner of The Da Vinci Code Web Quest. His name was randomly selected from more than a thousand finalists who completed the quest within the April deadline. Dan Brown called Trent personally to give him the good news. As the winner, Trent will become a character in Dan's next novel. The only question is... will he be a hero or a villain?
I'm still having trouble solving the quest. Can you give me a hint regarding a specific area?
Sorry, no hints! We suggest you contact a friend and solve the contest together. It's more fun that way. We promise the solution exists. Thousands of people have now made it to the end.
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