User Reviews

Just watched this film. It's an urban story that allows the viewer to sit back and enjoy the ride. I would say the film has an Electro-French vibe to it. Really engaging at all times, and a nice piece of work if you're keen on somewhat fast storytelling. The main character, Olga, gives a kinetically fantastic performance as the victim/heroine. Director Monihan has achieved a perfect dilution of plot, that allows for simultaneous enjoyment of the auditory-enhanced cinematography that abounds throughout. Olga is rather naively trafficked from Guatemala thru her parents to New York City. We sense her unsurprised disappointment as she learns she will not receive the American Dream, but rather further societal marginalization, in her already complex reality as a person living with deafness. She is used as a pawn by a group of serious evil-doers. Coerced into working the subway system for donations from riders, you quickly empathize with her situation. Thankfully, due to her wit and stealthy combativeness, we are never led to pity her. Filmed almost entirely in black and white, to the benefit of the viewer, emotions are magically subdued. Frankly, speaking about the Penguin won't do it any justice, it's just a cute part of the film. It eventually works its way to a great ending. Enjoy this one, it's worth seeing for sure!

An impressive directorial debut. A captivating yet sad story. The change of scenes from colour to black and white nicely depict the literal 'colour draining out' of the lead character's life as she gets trapped into what her life will soon become. The almost silent movie is shown to the viewer from the deaf girl's sensory world, and the team have done a brilliant job at cracking this. Would recommend watching with a good sound system to truly get the full feel of a beautifully made movie based on true events.