Holly

Saddest film I have seen in years; powerful topic
It is too bad that this film took years to come to the masses via DVD with such an important topic. The production companies and staff have made a mission to raise awareness on the child sex slave/prostitution that exists in the world, and in this particular case they cover Cambodia/Vietnam rings very graphically.

The story revolves around an American living in Southeast Asia that runs unknown missions for what appears to be a friend/boss, played by Chris Penn. On one of his sojourns he has to spend some extra time in a slum/brothel neighborhood and happens to cross paths with Holly, a 12-year old girl being sold into the sex trade. Through the course of unlikely and uncomfortable events, they form a bond and Ron's character attempts to "save" her. Along the way we see a spattering of harsh visuals involving 5 year old boys and girls soliciting men for sex and landscapes of the impoverished region ebbing out an existence. There is not much depth given to the American/German...

Wonderfully moving film
This movie tells us the sad, compelling, and realistic story of 12 year old Holly, a victim of the sex trade in South East Asia and her friendship with Patrick, an American expat. The acting is excellent on the part of the lead actress, Thuy Nguyen, the locals, and Udo Kier who plays a German sex tourist. The other main characters have average performances. I found Ron Livingston's role to be a bit nebulous as it's rather unclear exactly what his job/criminal activity entails.

A majority of films concerning sex trafficking are documentaries that jump around from scene to scene- which is what makes this film so refreshing as it tells the story of one girl. You can't help but become immersed right from the start. The film shows us how the underage sex trade spans through all levels of society including the absolute corruption of police and government officials, the brothel owners use of drugs and other compliance techniques, and the hopelessness of the victims. I highly...

"I stopped; I looked into her eyes."
HOLLY, will take you on a 113 minute, harrowing journey, through the streets of Cambodia and into the brothels of Phnom Penh, where much of the filming actually takes place. This film project is a (very) slow-paced, character driven drama, exploring human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children, and, disgustingly, how the Red-Light-District has evolved into a planned vacation stop, for many American and European men, who rationalize their behaviors as being culturally acceptable. It appears that, what happens in Cambodia, stays in Cambodia.

And, indeed, selling children into sexual slavery IS culturally acceptable in Cambodia, becoming almost a right-of-passage for some young girls---a way to help their impoverished family; to stave off hunger. They hold no malice toward those who have profited, only grief of separation. In essence, they have been groomed for this role.

Holly (Thuy Nguyen) meets such a fate, as a 12 year old Vietnamese girl, purchased,...

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