Beautiful, moving film.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This is a very hard movie to comment on. I would say for a first that some of the acting was particularly bad. This was particularly visible with the guys responsible for making slaves out of the prostitutes.I would not say that the movie was entirely badly produced but definitively, some part of the scenario did not make any sense whatsoever. Seems like the writers had a very difficult time making the whole thing evolve from the endless circle the girls were going through at the start.Though the movie relates to some of the very difficult things one can find in the world of prostitution, I really have the admit that it was really difficult and painful to watch. For most part, the film is dark and gloomy with very few glimpses of hope. I would have to guess that this is the brutal reality through which many girls go through.I guess this genre of movie has its kind of public but I would have to base my opinion on the latter and because of that could not enjoy the whole thing that much.

The opening song is Son of Man by About Wayne. I have not heard a great tune like this since early Tool on N.I.N. I was immediately engaged by the young Sofia (Francesca Agostini) listening to great music while working in a nasty factory. The Best Line in the movie was from her adorable brother, "How could I live without you?" but it sounds better in his language with the accent.The beginning of this movie was great. I was on the fence when Michael Madsen's character started speaking but the movie continued to come back around and I was pleasantly surprised by the overall story.Mischa, Mischa, Mischa.... *sigh* I have always like Barton's acting skills. Barton was better than average in this movie but she needed some work on her accent. I'm still a fan.I think they were playing Mozart at the end and it was simultaneously inappropriate and perfect.I will always love this film for introducing me to the Music Artist About Wayne.

I cannot understand why or how anyone would give this movie a rating above one. It's a movie that I'd perhaps expect to be asked to watch if I were taking a degree in clinical psychology or had any interest in the workings of a psychopathic mind, which I do not. Dark not noir-dark, just dark and depressing. I don't particularly seek out stories that help me maintain a rose-colored outlook on humanity, but neither do I seek out movies that portray only the darker side of a certain type of life that surely exists but thankfully one that I don't have to embrace in any way. There was not a single character in this movie that one could either sympathize or empathize with in any way whatsoever and that doesn't make for an interesting or engaging movie. Sewers and sewer rats exist, psychotic people exist, sick lives are lived, but why make a movie about any of that? I watched the movie based upon another review which was very positive and I see that the review has a lot of likes - all I can say is that's sad. Basically a very disturbing and sick story which, although well-acted, will very quickly be forgotten. It's like a garishly over-the-top remake of a low budget 1950's or 1960's Italian B 'horror' movie but takes itself seriously. Times and tastes change but not always for the better; we went from 'The Hills Are Alive . . .' (hum the rest - it's okay) to 'The Hills Have Eyes' - into this kind of social cesspool movie. I always try to find some redeeming quality in any movie I watch but in this case I can't say anything good about it.

Honestly, first I think HOPE LOST is another cheap flick with some B-Movie Stars (You know: Danny Trejo and Michael Madsen). But the surprise was big, very BIG, when I realize that HOPE LOST is far away from a cheap flick. In fact HOPE LOST is pretty good and delivers more as just sex and violence. From the beginning to the very bloody end tells the movie a good story and delivers some very deep and believable emotions. Main actress Francesca Agostini is great as Sofia, but the real show stealer is Alessia Navarro as a female client of Sofia with a war background – her strong performance is just WOW!!! And the stars? Everyone of the famous faces delivers also a good performance: Mischa Barton is very strong, Michael Madsen is very evil, Daniel Baldwin is very sadistic and Danny Trejo is very frighting. HOPE LOST is truly a great movie – highly recommended and so much better as many other movies out there!!!