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Trade

  • 20072007
  • RR
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
17K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Trade (2007)
Theatrical Trailer from Lionsgate
Play trailer2:21
1 Video
20 Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Thriller

Adriana, 13, is kidnapped in Mexico City by Russian sex traffickers. Her criminal 17 y.o. brother starts looking for her. Across the border in Texas, he gets help from a cop.Adriana, 13, is kidnapped in Mexico City by Russian sex traffickers. Her criminal 17 y.o. brother starts looking for her. Across the border in Texas, he gets help from a cop.Adriana, 13, is kidnapped in Mexico City by Russian sex traffickers. Her criminal 17 y.o. brother starts looking for her. Across the border in Texas, he gets help from a cop.

IMDb RATING
7.3/10
17K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Marco Kreuzpaintner
  • Writers
    • Jose Rivera(screenplay)
    • Peter Landesman(story)
  • Stars
    • Kevin Kline
    • Kathleen Gati
    • Paulina Gaitan
Top credits
  • Director
    • Marco Kreuzpaintner
  • Writers
    • Jose Rivera(screenplay)
    • Peter Landesman(story)
  • Stars
    • Kevin Kline
    • Kathleen Gati
    • Paulina Gaitan
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 106User reviews
    • 51Critic reviews
    • 42Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 2 nominations

    Videos1

    Trade
    Trailer 2:21
    Trade

    Photos20

    Paulina Gaitan in Trade (2007)
    Kevin Kline and Paulina Gaitan in Trade (2007)
    Kevin Kline and Marco Pérez in Trade (2007)
    Paulina Gaitan in Trade (2007)
    Cesar Ramos and Paulina Gaitan in Trade (2007)
    Marco Pérez and Paulina Gaitan in Trade (2007)
    Alicja Bachleda in Trade (2007)
    Alicja Bachleda and Paulina Gaitan in Trade (2007)
    Alicja Bachleda, Marco Pérez, Paulina Gaitan, and Leland Pascual in Trade (2007)
    Alicja Bachleda and Pasha D. Lychnikoff in Trade (2007)
    Kevin Kline and Cesar Ramos in Trade (2007)
    Trade (2007)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kevin Kline
    Kevin Kline
    • Ray Sheridanas Ray Sheridan
    Kathleen Gati
    Kathleen Gati
    • Irinaas Irina
    Paulina Gaitan
    Paulina Gaitan
    • Adrianaas Adriana
    Cesar Ramos
    Cesar Ramos
    • Jorgeas Jorge
    Alicja Bachleda
    Alicja Bachleda
    • Veronicaas Veronica
    Marco Pérez
    Marco Pérez
    • Manueloas Manuelo
    • (as Marco Perez)
    Linda Emond
    Linda Emond
    • Patty Sheridanas Patty Sheridan
    Zack Ward
    Zack Ward
    • Alex Greenas Alex Green
    Kate del Castillo
    Kate del Castillo
    • Lauraas Laura
    Tim Reid
    Tim Reid
    • Hank Jeffersonas Hank Jefferson
    Pasha D. Lychnikoff
    Pasha D. Lychnikoff
    • Vadim Youchenkoas Vadim Youchenko
    Natalia Traven
    Natalia Traven
    • Lupeas Lupe
    Guillermo Iván
    Guillermo Iván
    • Alejandroas Alejandro
    • (as Guillermo Ivan)
    Christian Vazquez
    Christian Vazquez
    • Monchoas Moncho
    José Sefami
    José Sefami
    • Don Victoras Don Victor
    • (as Jose Sefami)
    Leland Pascual
    • Thai Boyas Thai Boy
    Jorge Angel Toriello
    • Ten Year Old Boyas Ten Year Old Boy
    Luz Itzel
    • Moncho's Girlas Moncho's Girl
    • Director
      • Marco Kreuzpaintner
    • Writers
      • Jose Rivera(screenplay) (story)
      • Peter Landesman(story) (article "The Girls Next Door")
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Ray Sheridan is a Texas Ranger working in the insurance fraud division. From a devout Catholic family, seventeen year old Jorge lives in a Mexico City slum neighborhood with his mother and his thirteen year old sister Adriana. To have a better life not only for himself but also his family, Jorge, with two of his friends, has resorted to a "violent" scam to steal money from tourists in the Zocolo, something he hasn't told his mother who would disapprove. Ray and Jorge's very different existences intersect on a chance meeting straddling the border at El Paso/Juarez in dealing with the same issue from two slightly different directions, that issue being sex trafficking. Ray has been using his professional position on a personal mission of locating his illegitimate daughter Carly, who he has never met and who he has just learned was sold by her junkie mother ten years ago, he assuming into the illegal sex trade. With Adriana having gone missing, Jorge eventually learned that the assumption made by his criminal acquaintance Don Victor based on the evidence that Adriana was kidnapped by a Russian led sex trafficking group is true in Jorge having eventually been able to follow the kidnappers' path to Juarez. Adriana is one of four being transported across the border into the US, those four including Veronica, a young Polish woman whose "travel service" back home advised in going through Mexico as an easier entrance into the US where she hoped to eke out a better life eventually to be able to bring her son, Gregor. Veronica has taken it upon herself to be the defiant one to protect the other three, including Adriana. While Ray and Jorge work on two different mentalities - Ray more methodical with Jorge running more on adrenaline - the two have to decide how to approach the issue when they discover that the kidnappers' ultimate destination is New Jersey, where Adriana will be involved in an online auction in the highly lucrative position of the auction as the virgin. —Huggo
    • rape and revenge
    • sex
    • girl
    • sex trade
    • 17 year old
    • 261 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • You'll pay for this.
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Thriller
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for disturbing sexual material involving minors, violence including a rape, language and some drug content
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Based on Peter Landesman's 25 January 2004 New York Times Magazine cover story about sex slaves.
    • Goofs
      When Jorge calls his mother on the rotary phone he only 'dials' 4 numbers.
    • Quotes

      Jorge: How can you live in Texas and not have a hundred of Mexican friends?

      Ray Sheridan: What about you, wise ass? You got hundreds of, uh, American friends?

      Jorge: All my friends are Americans.

      Ray Sheridan: Really?

      Jorge: Yes. All Mexicans are Americans, and all my friends are Mexicans, so all my friends are Americans. It's North America, Central America, and South America. THAT'S America. Not just you ignorant gringos up here in gringo land.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Kingdom/Trade/The Game Plan/Feast of Love/The Darjeeling Limited/Lust, Caution (2007)
    • Soundtracks
      Malo
      Written and Performed by Bebe

    User reviews106

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Powerful message with entertainment value, and it works
    I attended a screening of "Trade" at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. All week, films had been relatively disappointing. And then this powerful work came along.

    It probably is sufficient to say that its subject is child trafficking, in this case, from Mexico to the US. Audiences will recognize Kevin Kline. The other leads are a 13 year-old girl (Paulina Gaitan) and her 17 year-old brother (Cesar Ramos). The film rests largely on the shoulders of these two innocents, and it's on the basis of their performances, even more than the subject matter, that I consider this a must-see film.

    Check out this pedigree. "Trade" was written by Jose Rivera (who wrote "The Motorcycle Diaries"). It is based on a New York Times Magazine article. It was originally supposed to be directed by Roland Emmerich (who wrote, directed, and produced "The Day After Tomorrow"). But Emmerich had a conflict, so he ended up producing it along with Rosilyn Heller (who produced "American Heart," a favorite of mine starring Jeff Bridges and Edward Furlong). In turn Marco Kreutzpaintner was hired to direct, a German filmmaker who had a connection to Emmerich through another producer. It was a fortuitous set of circumstances. It's a $12 million indie backed by German funds, Emmerich's own pockets, and Lions Gate, who will be distributing it.

    This is quite a moving film and, although it's easy to argue the case, it does not exploit the kids itself in its effort to expose the horrors of child exploitation. While it has some Hollywood moments thrown in for commercial appeal, it's still as compelling as any film I've seen recently. The acting is frighteningly real. A good part of the film is a bit of a road movie where Kline and the boy bond -- he needs a male role model, Kline's life on the road is a lonely existence, you know the drill. Kline's relationship with the boy reminded me of his pairing with Hayden Christensen in "Life as a House." He's good at it, and it's a casting coup that helps put the icing on the cake. The other part of the film focuses on the harsh reality of child trafficking and follows several victims through their ordeals. But Kreutzpaintner's narrative never loses sight of its heartbreaking subject matter.

    Director Kreutzpaintner and producer Heller were there for a Q&A. I asked about the casting. He said the boy and girl were found during auditions in Mexico City. He was just the second one they saw. They kept looking, but eventually came back to him. He had never acted before. The girl had done a bit before, but not much. What an auspicious debut. These are two to watch.

    There are many "oh my God" moments. It ultimately is a "message" film in that it exposes the horrors of child trafficking, but it's also made for commercial appeal and should resonate with the larger audience. It's hard to pull off this kind of film and make it work. How does one entertain without hitting the viewer with a sledgehammer? It's a delicate balance, and this one weighs in perfectly.
    helpful•130
    34
    • larry-411
    • Feb 7, 2007

    FAQ4

    • Is Trade based on a novel?
    • Is Laura really Carly, Ray's missing daughter?
    • How does the movie end?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 18, 2007 (Germany)
    • Countries of origin
      • Germany
      • United States
      • Mexico
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
      • Polish
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • The Girls Next Door
    • Filming locations
      • Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
    • Production companies
      • Lionsgate
      • Roadside Attractions
      • Centropolis Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $12,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $214,307
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $118,086
      • Sep 30, 2007
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,465,077
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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