the movieGOOMBA

2.5 GOOMBAS

Last summer, I took a trip down to Ensenada, Mexico with my friends, and trying to get back to the States was not an easy feat. One of the roads we took to get into Mexico was closed, so we had to find another way to get to the boarder. Attempting to do this on streets with non-existent lanes, and non-existent road signs proved to be muy dificìl. Eventually, we find a street that had formed a long line of cars, and the police were directing traffic. As we approached the officers, we decided to make sure we were in a line taking us to the United States, so my friend asked the policeman, "Qué el camino màs ràpido es a los Estados Unidos?" What is the fastest way to the United States?

The office laughs and answers in English, "For how much?"

My friend hesitated, as the rest of the caravan, myself included, perk up at this unexpected response. Zach replies, "Vente dolares?"

The group, shocked and apprehensive, remain quiet as the exchange occurs. The officers says that we should follow his friend. He assured us that he would show us the right way home. Zach follows the second officer, who is on his motorcycle, as the rest of scream things like "Holy crap! Is he taking us to jail?!" "Oh my God Zach, what the heck just happened?" It turns out that the second officer did lead us the right way home. For $20, he also let us cut in line; shaving 2 hours off of the 3 hour wait time to cross. We had successfully, and unintentionally bribed a Mexican police officer. Stuff like this happens in Mexico all the time. Sadly, the country is full of corrupt officials, black market trade, and shady undertakings, and knowing this while watching a film like Trade hits extra hard.

Kevin Kline stars in Trade, a film about the underground sex trade in Mexico. Adriana, a thirteen-year-old-girl, is viciously kidnapped off the street near her home. Adriana's kidnappers intend on selling her on the Internet as a sex slave. Her brother Jorge desperately searches for her, and during his seemingly hopeless quest to find his little sister, Jorge runs into an off duty Texas cop (Kline) who is on his own personal mission for justice.

The most startling aspect of this film is its truth. It's knowing that stuff like this happens around the world all the time. Some scenes in Trade were basically unwatchable. There were scenes of rape, child molestation, and other God-awful crimes against humanity. I don't understand how another human being can do that to another human being and still look others in the eye. But other than this movie's realism, and the light it sheds on this sociopolitcal issue, Trade flounders in all other ways.

Though the idea behind the film holds interest, Kline's portrayal of the tormented, flawed cop is unconvincing and the notion that he would help a strange teen from a third world country who claims his sister has been kidnapped is absurd. There was a Russian chick in plot who was sort of random; her story was thoughtful and symbolic, but it didn't fit. In general, the filmmakers intent for paradoxical characters failed. I'd actually call them hypocritical. Basically the film tried saying too much, inevitably rendering it uninspired.

I don't know of another film about the sex trade, so watch Trade for awareness on the topic. However, don't expect to find any hope for humanity in this film. It's message is pretty straight forward. People suck, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.