How sad is this?

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Some viewers would say the film was weak on portraying how the human sex traffic trade takes full advantage of unsuspecting teenagers (boys as well as girls) by scooping them off the street due to these teenagers own ignorance to the extent of the sex traffic trade, and/or more likely by raising these teenagers self worth, albeit temporarily, until the pimps have full control of them.Whether or not this film is loosely based on a true story of a young South Korean girl named Chong Kim should not be what the majority of the films audience should be focused on, nor the disappointment that a movie that is based on the illegal sex trafficking lacks any gratuitous x-rated sex scenes. Instead what the viewers like myself absorbed from Miss Chong Kim's ordeal is we need to do a better job as a nation in realizing how extensive the sex trafficking trade really is, and what we all can do to stop it.Firstly, there would be no sex trafficking in North America if there was no demand for the supply of teenage girls (and boys). In this film actor Beau Bridges does more than an adequate job as the corrupt law enforcement officer Bob Gault. Some of the other reviews commented that this is not realistic that a law enforcement officer would be a leader in the sex trafficking ring, but every year law enforcement officers across North America are found guilty of many criminal offences and the important "breach of trust" crime.Actress Jamie Chung who plays the young teenage female victim Eden (with braces on her teeth), who was easily duped by a young man in uniform to foolishly feel safe enough to take a ride in his car and then she was quickly moved into the sex trade is a wake up call for all teenagers. The key message being there are many wolves in sheep's clothing and we as a nation have to be more engaged in stopping this corrupt criminal behaviour. Of course the actress Jamie Chung was taller, thinner, with a buff body than the shorter and heavier real life Chong Kim. I felt Jamie Chung did a great job in portraying the real life Chong Kim and how the victim had to adjust to a life in the sex traffic trade over the years she was imprisoned. I would also suggest to those critical viewers who scoffed that the dozens of teenage girls who were imprisoned under lock and behind gates in a storage locker as being unrealistic, lets be clear, regardless of where these teenage girls were being housed when they were not working on their backs or knees lets just agree that they were not living the life of a socialite like Paris Hilton, or as a madam like Heidi Fleiss. No I am quite sure that the teenage girls who are really imprisoned by pimps and actively (today and tomorrow) engaged in the sex traffic trade are living in squalor, eating poorly, and have absolutely no life or ambition to speak of. I thought the director/co-writer Megan Griffiths did an admirable job of finely balancing the need to NOT over sensationalize the graphic sexual plight of these young teenage girls, but instead emphasize how young women need to appreciate how easily it is to find themselves victims if they do not pay a lot more attention to the wrong type of people who could easily over power them if they are not a lot more careful as to who they choose to socialize or even be in the wrong place (like a bar, a public park late at night, or a pool hall) at the wrong time.This is a clean enough film that I would suggest parents of all young teenage girls as well as teenage boys should watch as a learning tool. This is real life sex trafficking that we should not ignore, but we should be doing a lot more to prevent. I give the film a fair 6 out of 10 rating for "lessons learned".

A small budget movie with a big story to tell, Megan Griffith's (no relation to Jordan, as far as we know) Eden is a movie that despite its limitations set forward by its financers is a movie that remains constantly engaging from start to finish even though it never reaches any great emotionally affecting heights that makes you think this story could easily be done once more in a manner that would make the most out of an horrific yet worthy true story.There have not yet been many high profile movies set around the hot topic of sex trafficking/slavery yet there are now many stories out there told by real life participants in what is one of the world's most lucrative and shameful industries. Eden is based on the real life tale (or is it real?) of Chong Kim here portrayed by the capable Jamie Chung who while not instilling Eden with a huge emotional heft, has many fine moments in a role that would of required a lot of her emotionally. While Chung is good as Eden the film finds a real power in its supports from grown up Frailty child actor Matt O'Leary and veteran character actor Beau Bridges.O'Leary as young drug addicted runner of the operation Vaughan and Bridges as Marshall/slavery organiser Bob Gault are both great in some very creepy turns. Vaughan in particular is an on edge and believable participant in this horrific business while Bridges oozes slim as cold and calculating Marshall Gault. With these fine turns by the two male leads it acts as a showcase for just what Eden could have been had it found a way to tap emotionally into what these situations really meant for these poor women and those invested into it financially and while director Griffiths has enough flair behind the camera to suggest she has a career in the industry there needs to be more thought on how to wring the most out of her stories.Eden is a small film worthy of your time, if not only to highlight the oft forgotten world that it depicts in all its unsavoury and harsh elements. With some very fine support turns and with a finely tuned pacing, Eden is a low budget film once more showcasing that budget does not make or break a movie if it has a worthy story to tell even if the film squanders a chance to make the most of its emotionally ripe story.3 stiletto shoe heels out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check into - www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

I'm giving this film a 5/10 as it was watchable, and the acting 'wasn't bad', but I'm very unsure what all these high praising reviews are all about! I hadn't even realised Eden was supposedly based on a true story, as there are just SO many gaps and obvious flaws in the film it's ridiculous, and either there wasn't enough research made by the people behind the film, or the 'true story' behind it is a piece of fiction. After researching Chong Kim's life, I'm thinking both. I don't really get how a whole film was made based on this girl's life without anything being verified as true, and not even attempting to make certain parts more believable for viewers.

Film opens to rap music played with a black screen. Not a good start. Hyun Jae is tied up with her mouth duct-taped in the truck of the kidnapper who plays the rap music. It is clear that this is not going to go well for Jae.Then we backtrack to one day earlier to Las Cruces, New Mexico in 1994. Hyun-Jae, teen daughter of Korean immigrants who own 'Gifts and Taxonomy.' Jae let herself be vulnerable: smoking, getting a false ID, going drinking while out against her parents wishes. Picking up men in bars turns out to be a very bad idea. The fireman who sends over two whiskeys to Jae and her friend turns out to be part of the machinery in finding and kidnapping at risk young teen-aged virgins. Also, he has many badges, not just a fireman's. He stops, talks to a comrade, then they take her. The comrade drives her to Arizona. He dumps her in a ravine at a man's ranch.Bob Gault is part of law enforcement, but he also works with the kidnappers. They had left a transmitter on Jae's ankle, and Bob zeroed in on that. After making sure there were no witnesses, Bob kills the deputy the man had called, then the man. Bob takes Jae to the next part of the pipeline. She wakes up in a clinic; she's drugged and the old woman there removes her metal braces. When Jae wakes next, she's with other young women, all scantily clad in a make-shift barracks. Bob has each young woman pick out a kitten to centre their attentions. Then he turns to Jae. He has intercepted the missing persons report that her father had filled out. He makes it clear that nothing is going to come of it.Bob renames her Eden from "Eden's Garden," the trailer park where her parents live. He makes it clear that she will be a prostitute, and that she is expected to bathe in the morning, in the evening, and after sexual congress. Bob reminds her that he knows where her parents live, that he's part of law enforcement, and he will cause trouble for the parents if she gets out of line. End of setup, 22 minutes in.Eden attempts to escape early on, but is severely disciplined. She bides her time for a year, then attempts to gain Vaughan's confidence. That starts to go well, but Vaughan does his best to make her a fellow drug addict. He also teachers her to man the telephones, and to drive a truck. At one of the seminars that Bob gives, he is approached by an investigators for the two murders he committed when picking up Jae.Will her new approach work? Will Vaughan's drug use hurt her chances? Will Bob or Vaughan be exposed for their criminal activity?-------Scores--------Cinematography: 10/10 Fine.Sound: 10/10 No problems.Acting: 8/10 Quite good. Beau Bridges is excellent as the equally affable and menacing Bob. Matt O'Leary was a bit off. Jamie Chung's performance was solid.Screenplay: 8/10 Definitely an engaging story, and quite a scary one.