Human trafficking has been an ailment of society since forever it seems some times, with the stories we occasionally hear on the news reminding us that the incidents can easily happen as close to us as possible. Angelo Reyes presents a movie based on the real life story of Tanya, a girl how felt victim to trafficking, that highlights the aforementioned concept, through a Filipino prism that adds another level to the short.
“Groomed” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
The film begins with a concerned mother fighting with her daughter, teenager Maria, over the messages she has been sending through her phone to Ricardo, a man in his 30s. The distance between the two is evident as the mother is speaking mostly in Filipino, while the daughter is replying in English, but is when cursing and a slap become a factor, than the gap becomes unbridgeable, with the girl leaving her house to go meet Ricardo. The relationship of Maria and the man seems quite smooth in the beginning, with her even opening up about an awful experience she had with a one of her mom's boyfriends. Quite soon, however, he suggests for her to have sex with a man for money for them to “escape”, and she reluctantly agrees. The experience, however, is traumatic for her in the most horrific way, and even worse, Maria realizes that it is just the beginning.
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Through the 18 minutes of the short, Angelo Reyes manages to highlight both the specific case and the overall phenomenon of human trafficking, from its roots to its practices, in the most eloquent fashion. The people involved usually target teenage girls from “broken” homes, exploiting their vulnerability first by promising love, and then by making them believe that prostitution is the only way for them to move forward with their life. And if that does not work, violence does. As the story progresses, and even more terrifyingly than the first time Maria has to have sex with a stranger, it seems that the girl actually gets used to this life, not even attempting to leave.
The movie does end on a somewhat optimist note, but its dramatic premises are quite intense, with Reyes also making an accusation towards parents who seem to either not have time for their children or do not know how to treat them, particularly in this digital era, where danger can actually lurk inside a smartphone. The main blame, however, does lie with the traffickers, as the man is portrayed in the movie, although some more focus on how they become what they are would also be interesting to include in the story. At the same time, some more focus on the other woman who appears in the story would also be interesting, while the molesting, although adds to the drama, seems a bit far-fetched in this context, even if it is based on a real-life story. These issues, however, actually have to do with the lack of time Reyes had in his 18 minutes movie, and by no way, do they bring the whole thing down.
Danielle Lyn as Maria is quite convincing as both the frustrated teenager and the victim, in a rather hard role she delivers, though, with flying colors. Reyes himself as Ricardo is also quite good in the way he starts as a loving boyfriend only to show his true colors eventually.
Robert H. Chapman's cinematography is a bit too polished on occasion, but also captures the grittiness and suffocation of what we are watching with realism, while AJ's editing results in a fast pace that suits the narrative style nicely. Evidently, Diaz did not want to get too brutal in his presentation, and the two aspects are definitely part of this approach.
“Groomed” is an accomplished short, that manages to highlight the particular phenomenon with realism and artistry.
