Synopsis
Shot on location in Cambodia, including many scenes in actual brothels in the notorious red light district of Phnom Penh, HOLLY is a captivating, touching and emotional experience. Patrick, an American card shark and dealer of stolen artifacts, has been 'comfortably numb' in Cambodia for years, when he encounters Holly, a 12-year-old Vietnamese girl, in the K11 red light village. The girl has been sold by her impoverished family and smuggled across the border to work as a prostitute.
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Cast
- Ron LivingstonPatrick
- Chris PennFreddie
- Thuy NguyenHolly
- Virginie LedoyenMarie
- Udo KierKlaus
Recommendations
- 75
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The filmmaker's vision is harrowingly ugly and profoundly upsetting every step of the way. - 70
Variety
Though treading a firm, clear-eyed line between education and exploitation, the well-acted and technically proficient drama -- too chaste to scandalize, too dark for general audiences -- works as a mobilizing tool for its cause. - 70
Village Voice
Though the storytelling is haphazard, artistry often transcends mere good intentions. Director Guy Moshe scavenges color from the torn fringes of Phnom Penh, and the composer Tôn-Thât Tiêt provides a spare score, laying bleary sadness over the art-house muckracking. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
An unsparing look at child prostitution is a hard sell for audiences, but this movie is a memorable achievement, far superior to the recently released "Trade," another movie about sex trafficking. - 50
TV Guide Magazine
The film's meandering narrative, melodramatic conclusion and underdeveloped characters overshadow the genuinely shocking abuses it condemns. - 50
New York Daily News
Half drama, half social tract, Guy Moshe's feature debut is meant to illustrate the horrors of child prostitution in Southeast Asia. The intentions, unfortunately, are more notable than the execution. - 50
Washington Post
An emotional thriller that is by turns contrived and impassioned. - 42
Entertainment Weekly
A dawdling, myopic drama.
