Human Trafficking

Ok, so this is a made for TV movie that is available on Netflix based on events that I am sure happen when a woman is taken from her home and forced into being sold as a sex slave to wealthy sickos. It stars Mira Sorvino and Donald Sutherland as two Customs Enforcement officers who get on the case of one human trafficker named Sergei (played by Robert Carlyle). The story follows a few young girls who get taken and are under Sergei's cruel care. One is Helena, a single mother who is seduced by a man who then gives her to Sergei's men in Prague. Another is a twelve year old who is taken on a vacation to the Philippines right from the street. Nadia is a 16 year old who tries to be a model, but gets caught under Sergei's thumb as well.
All of these women (while some have a bit of idiot in them) do NOT deserve the things that are done to them. This is a movie that, while on TV, was not afraid to push the envelope of what they can show.

So let's dive in.

trailer for Human Trafficking

We start with a girl whom we do not know being led into a room by a tough guy in a leather jacket. She is forced into a room with a fat slob who pays for her and forces her to kneel in front of him as he takes off his shirt and makes her touch him. She looks like she is about to throw up and at the first opportunity she runs and dives out the window. Agent Kate Morozov investigates her death and deduces that she was trafficked. This is the third death of a girl and that seems to hit a nerve.
In Prague Helena is living with her daughter and meets a man at the bar she works at. They seem to hit it off as he walks her home. They get more attached and eventually he invites her to a weekend in Vienna. She thinks he likes her.
In Russia Nadia is getting out of school with her best friend and talking about getting away. They go to a model tryout with at least 50 other girls. Sergei shows up and chooses a few girls including Nadia, but not her friend. Nadia tells the woman in charge (after Sergei leaves) that she is only 16, but the woman says they'll take care of it. Nadia goes home to her father and we see that he wants her to stay home though she wants to go away for a year. Let me say here that I love this father and his daughter is an idiot, but at 16 weren't we all?? Nadia sneaks out at night leaving anote for her father and going with the agency to Washington DC.
Annie is on vacation with her parents. She is 12 years old, but from the right angle she looks 18. While out shopping with her mother in the street a van drives up and takes her away, leaving her mother running after her.
Meanwhile in DC Agent Morozov is in an office trying to convince Agent Bill Meehan to hire her as a Customs Enforcement Officer so she can catch the guy trafficking these girls.
Nadia is taken to DC as promised, but then they are led to a run down building's basement and their money, passports are taken. Sergei comes to inform them that they are his property now as getting them to the US took a lot of money they now owe him. Sergei chooses Nadia to be the one to strip in front of him.
Each woman is told that should they try to leave or disobey something will happen to either them, of their loved ones. Helena's daughter is even threatened.

You know, I just looked back at what I wrote and don't think it adequately explains how bad this is. Think that you think life is going good, you meet a man or get your dream job. You are extremely happy and excited for this new part of your life. You trust these people to take care of you in a new country you've never been to before, but they lock you up, beat you and sell you to the highest bidder for sex, in all it's disgusting forms and if you don't do as they say, you, your father, brothers, sisters and daughters, or sons will pay the price.
I recently saw the new Evil Dead (may do a review not sure) and one of the things from the original that is kept is the infamous tree-rape scene. A friend of mine asked why they kept that and I think I have the answer. It's also why Human Trafficking is great because it knows this: rape is scary. To be a woman (or man) and have the risk of some person forcing anything upon you, breaking you, making you suffer and enjoying it, is, in my opinion, the most terrifying thing a woman, no a person, can go through.
I don't think this film captures just how scary it can be, but for a TV movie it comes close.

The film bounces between the three girls and the Agent trying to save them:
Annie is taken to a house where children are sold to men who want to 'play' and meets a local girl who ends up getting sick.
Helena is in a house that is found and raided by police and makes a deal that as long as she gets her daughter she will tell them everything.
Nadia and Helena become friends before Helena is moved and later saved. Nadia remains trafficked as her father gets in as a guard to try and save her.
As the police use Helena's words and shut down more houses owned by Sergei, worrying him. He has Helena taken care of, but that does not stop Agent Morozov from continuing her search for him. Through surveillance of Sergei and information from other girls she gets closer and closer.

The film follows the girls as they create friendships, try to cope with what is happening, even escape attempts. It does a great job showing all they can of what happens to a woman under these circumstances.

Annie and her new friend

Agent Morozov creates a profile as a Russian 21 year old on one of Sergei's mail order bride sites (legit as far as the law is concerned). She gets the attention of a man who had been seen around Sergei. When he proposes she come to the US she dresses herself up for her husband-to-be so she can look younger and be led to Sergei. Morozov is sent in with a bug and loads of backup standing by. When she is roughed up/stripped Morozov loses her wire and her backup can't hear what is going on. Sergei comes in to check the girls and notices a few things off about Morozov, like that she is too old. He asks her who she is and she is able to steal one of the guys' guns, introducing herself with her real name as her backup comes in after waiting too long through the radio silence. Nadia's father gets her out while Sergei almost gets away. The team outside shoots him dead, but not before he can say something to Morozov. (I say something because he says it in Russian and it is NEVER translated!) :(.
So Sergei is dead and the police find all the girls and either take them home or let them stay in the US. The film ends with Morozov telling the press that human trafficking is real and going on.

Agent Morozov and Sergei

The movie bounces between the story lines, making the film interesting and keeps you sucked in, wondering what will happen next. Now, most of the story lines have a happy ending, but believe me you are not sure that will be the case while watching this film. For all you know all of them could have died and that is portrayed well.
This review does not, can not, compare to watching the film. The acting of the girls is spot on, showing the fear, pain, hate and helplessness that I'm sure these women feel as this does happen in real life. The motivations of Agent Morozov are clear and shown (though not told in this review). It is a believable story and leads her ont his quest to find Sergei.
Speaking of Sergei, Carlyle, as always gives a chilling performance as Sergei, a business man who just sees his trafficking as another business, if illegal. He is cunning, shifty, ruthless and this is backed by his supporting actors. The girls, Helena, Nadia and Annie are fabulous actresses and portray the fear they have of him. He is a powerful man and everyone knows it. Now for a bit of nitpicking: his accent is shite! It may just be me, but he is a man with an obvious Russian name, who is called and American and can't seem to decide if his accent is American or a REALLY Americanized Scot! I can hear some of his natural accent come through every now and again and to me it was a bit distracting. I think they should have given him a Russian accent, maybe hide it better, I don't know. Aside from that...he kills a guy with a PEN for Pete's sake! :)

This movie sheds light on a real issue in the world and while it is fictionalized I'm sure there are people going through similar events right now. Human Trafficking- worth a look.