Sound of Freedom

Sound of Freedom is one of those small, low budget films that managed to really take-off in the US at a time when big-budget extravaganzas at the box office, partly due to word-of-mouth and to a risky marketing tactic with viewers buying free tickets for future customers, which saw it eventually receive a wider release. The subject didn't exactly sound like one for the big screen, more something I'd catchup at home, but I was curious to see what the fuss was about and if it could live up to the hype.

Based on real events, the story follows a U.S. government agent who has reached a point with catching paedophiles where he wants to go out and put a stop to the child sex trafficking. But to do so, he would have to go south of the Mexican border with little resources and so he leaves his career behind and risks his life by mixing with some very shady characters to bring criminals to justice and get the children back ti to their families. 

The concept certainly makes for stirring stuff that isn't always easy to watch but director, Alejandro Monteverde, does a good job setting the scene while supported by a solid cast including Jim Caviezel and Bill Camp. However, while the real story is compelling, I did find the film to lag in places during the first act that spent a little too long emphasising the kidnapping. In this act, we also get a rushed sting operation which felt unbelievable and between one part taking too long and the latter whizzing by, the film does get off to an uneven start. Thankfully, things do pickup with the introduction of Camp's character and it's here I wish the film focused more of its 130 minutes.

Granted some scenes later on did feel a little too coincidental to be believed but it is an engrossing story and I feel Sound of Freedom does an admirable job tackling a very unpleasant subject matter in a very straightforward and simplistic manner. So I wouldn't say this is quite the ground-breaking experience that the film's success might have you think but it is a decent film if not one everyone will choose to watch or I might consider ever revisiting.