Trade
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: September 28, 2007
5.8
USER SCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
11
Mixed:
5
Negative:
4
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
10
OAFeb 7, 2008
This is the best picture of the year, no country was great but this film will bring tears to your eyes, its real, unflinching and captivating.
1 of 1 users found this helpful
0
DanS.Oct 2, 2007
So bad it is painful.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
ChadS.Jan 30, 2008
Don't let a man do a woman's job. The sex trafficking of minors is a story that should be unrelentingly grim (like Lukas Moodyson's "Lilya-4-Ever"); a female screenwriter knows this. "Trade" stares at the sordid world of child Don't let a man do a woman's job. The sex trafficking of minors is a story that should be unrelentingly grim (like Lukas Moodyson's "Lilya-4-Ever"); a female screenwriter knows this. "Trade" stares at the sordid world of child exploitation, and flinches. Rather than be at the front and center of the viewer's attention, the story of two underaged girls(one Polish, one Mexican) being transported to New Jersey for auction, inexplicably, is sometimes used to frame the curiously cheerful auxiliary story of two boys(one American, one Mexican) pursuing the kidnappers. "Trade" is a road movie about the sex trafficking of minors. Sometimes Jorge(Cesar Ramos) remembers that Adriana(Paulina Gaitan) is, in all likelihood, going to be raped; sometimes he forgets; or rather, the movie forgets. The cultural differences between Ray(Kevin Kline) and Jorge(he doesn't like Ray's classical music) that "Trade" insists on exploring is inappropriate to say the least. In one scene, the younger charge gets to drive...and have control over the music. If "Trade" was written by a woman, Veronica(Alicja Bachleda-Curus) wouldn't exit "Trade" in spectacular "Thelma & Louise"-like fashion. As much as the Polish girl loves her baby boy, it's unlikely that she'd abandon Adriana(Paulina Gaitan), a younger girl, to fend off their two kidnappers on her own. "Trade" is too entertaining, and too easy to watch.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
LoO.Oct 1, 2007
Simply a bad film. Save your money and go and see Holly when it comes out.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
JohnS.Sep 29, 2007
This is simply a very bad film. One of the worst I have ever seen in a very long time. The acting is so bad it is only rival by the stupid script. Avoid at all cost.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
JayB.Mar 30, 2008
Yes, there can be improvements made to the overall quality of the film, however, this movie sheds some light to a sordid underworld many of us are ignorant to. Sorry, but thats a fact. Watch the film and form your own opinion. I thought the Yes, there can be improvements made to the overall quality of the film, however, this movie sheds some light to a sordid underworld many of us are ignorant to. Sorry, but thats a fact. Watch the film and form your own opinion. I thought the movie overall was outstanding along with the performances by the main actors.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
ElmerRMay 21, 2008
Is a good movie, and shows the differences between cultures. Many of the "experts" rate this low cuz they dont like that a mexican calls them stupid and ignorant. But if you watch this film with a little open mind, you will find a movie not Is a good movie, and shows the differences between cultures. Many of the "experts" rate this low cuz they dont like that a mexican calls them stupid and ignorant. But if you watch this film with a little open mind, you will find a movie not so far from the reality.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
Meth-dudeJan 9, 2017
The original idea was interesting, the acting was good for the most part and the movie was entertaining. Unfortunately, the numerous plot holes and the bad script didn't help the movie. It wasn't a particularly good movie, but it wasn't thatThe original idea was interesting, the acting was good for the most part and the movie was entertaining. Unfortunately, the numerous plot holes and the bad script didn't help the movie. It wasn't a particularly good movie, but it wasn't that bad either.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
CineAutoctonoJan 7, 2017
"Trade" was a film, which reflects a lot, the trafficking of people, and the infernal that can live, although the story is well mixed with emotions, was more Latin than American, and certainly very predictable, against everything Foreword,"Trade" was a film, which reflects a lot, the trafficking of people, and the infernal that can live, although the story is well mixed with emotions, was more Latin than American, and certainly very predictable, against everything Foreword, this film makes you reflect on human trafficking, love, and family unity.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
DawdlingPoetNov 24, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is obviously a movie that is quite uncomfortable to watch. Its gritty and features some disturbing scenes, including a rape scene, so be aware of that. To be honest, there isn't a great amount of action in the movie, its a fairly (frustratingly) slow movie as far as the plot is concerned and it really highlights the horrendous sex trafficking industry, which is clearly highlighted in the movie as being a global trade. The movie, I feel, was made to make people aware of what goes on seemingly behind closed doors - it was quite shocking to see where the house in New Jersey where the trafficked women ultimately ended up at, was situated - it being located in the middle of a remarkably ordinary, possibly middle class street, not in some completely run down ramshackle shanty town type dump. What worked well in this movie, I felt, were the characters. Of course as far as the trafficked women were concerned (or more the actresses that portray them), they had a very daunting task, to effectively represent the many thousands of people that end up in the same position as their characters. In the movie, Jorge and Ray are the sort of supporting roles or characters but they are both very good characters I feel - Jorge for his compassion and clear love of his sister, his determination to track her down and ultimately for retribution against those who sold her off, Cesar Ramos does give a great performance as Jorge and Ray is a very interesting character as an insurance fraud officer who it turns out as he opens up to Jorge, has also been touched by the human trafficking trade and it turns out, was on a similar quest as Jorge, although his story is, while in some ways similar to his, in other ways its different but it was definitely interesting to see him open up to Jorge, to see how they interacted and so on.

Thinking about it, it seems to me that some of the most frustrating elements in the story were deliberately included to be symbolic, primarily to symbolise/highlight how hidden this horrendous trade is, like to say that we don't wish to acknowledge that such things actually go on. Its really quite uncomfortable, upsetting almost, to see at different points in the movie, the trafficked women being out in the open, with there being a chance for them to escape and yet somehow that tends to elude them, one scene inparticular comes to mind whereby Adriana and another of the girls (I get the names muddled, I think it might have been Veronika?) ends up near a large crowd of Americans watching a big parade with police officers nearby, yet the crowd have their backs turned to the girls and still things don't work out the way that you really want it to - I wondered how realistic this was, this and another scene near the start of the movie whereby the guys that hold the girls hostage The difference between this movie and, say Man on Fire, is that this movie has less action and is really more about making you think about what goes on literally behind our backs. The movie ends with some statistics displayed across the screen to again bring home how much of an epidemic I suppose, it is, although I noticed that it didn't really seem to clarify whether the numbers stated were annual figures or monthly figures or whatever.

There is also a sad irony to one of the last scenes in this movie, whereby its almost as if things have gone full circle as Jorge ends up back in Mexico and recognises somehow who is involved in the industry and full of rage he goes after him - the reaction afterwards of someone who clearly wouldn't understand the significance of whats happened, is both sad and somewhat touching.

No this isn't an 'entertaining' movie, its not particularly easy to watch at points but then it really shouldn't be and given its remit, I think it does a pretty good job. The characters are brought to life, it highlights something that some people undoubtedly would rather not acknowledge even exists and it represents both the mislaid hope and optimism by those young girls who end up in the trade as well as showing in one scene, a rare moment of hesitation from one of the men after being offered the chance to 'do the right thing' - which made me wonder if all the people who were paid to transport the 'human goods' were as bad as you think - had they been pushed into doing what they do? ehhh thats probably way naive of me to wonder, I don't know - I don't remember if that man was the same one that raped one of the other girls but it did make you wonder about motive and so on.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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