VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
TdSmth5 A mute girl named Karma infiltrates a Russian sex/strippers/drug mafia in Canada to look for those responsible for her sister's death. In flashbacks we see how her sister ended up there. She met some woman in Russia who offered her work and opportunity. She's transported to Canada where suddenly things turn much uglier than promised.It takes a while for things to turn violent but eventually Karma pretends to be a stripper to entice one of the mobsters and then she kills him. Little by little she moves up the mobster ladder but then she's grabbed. But she also meets some agent who helps her out. Eventually she meets the big boss and suddenly there's a neat twist that comes out of nowhere.This is a B revenge flick that hinges entirely on the lovely Shera Bechard. She does a great job, looks stunning, and does her action stunts well, too. It must be a dream of lazy filmmakers to write a mute main character but it doesn't do much for the audience. The surprise twist came out of nowhere but really worked well. Given the themes and Bechard's attractiveness, there should have been more nudity. Action too is a bit subdued. But overall a decent attempt.
ginobean The story flowed well and it was a lot of fun to watch.I thought Shera did a really good of portraying the Karma character. She emoted really well as Karma and seemed believable and true.Definitely have read some horror stories about sex trafficking nightmares. This movie should be mandatory viewing for young women who might be vulnerable to that sort of exploitation, because it shows a woman getting revenge on sex traffickers. So, instead of simply following the herd and being a victim, this movie plants the idea that there are other options.Definitely recommended..
BibbyWoo83 I caught this film at Fantastic Fest in Austin, during a sold out screening. Clearly the reason the screening was sold out is that the lead actress was in attendance, days after winning an award for Next Wave Best Actress, so everyone wanted to know what the fuss was about. I won't bother going into the details about the plot since it's covered here by others, but I gotta say this was a cool little film. It's a nice modern take on the old style 70's revenge film. It's got a great energy, an engaging story, some bad-ass, albeit low-rent kill scenes, and yes, the performance from the first-time lead actress is a knock-out. She owns the screen. From the reaction of the audience, and the fact that almost 3/4 of them stuck around for the Q&A, I'd safely say that most others would agree with me. A perfect film? No. But a solid, must-see piece of entertainment? You bet.
j_t_man I too caught this film at Fantasia Fest in Montreal. I went in expecting the typical low-budget Canadian dreck like "Deaden", and was very surprised with just how good it was. While in some ways it's a typical revenge film, the story unfolds in a way that keeps you engaged as a viewer. The pacing of it is spot on, delivering the obligatory kick-ass scene, some nice t&a, an occasional laugh, and the intriguing storyline all when needed. The film takes place within the world of the underground sex trade in Toronto. It's not very often that we see this side of Canada on film, and I think the filmmakers did a great job in creating a setting that feels completely realistic. It doesn't try too hard or go over the top in its portrayal of this world as so many Canadian films are apt to do. The cinematography adds perfectly to this gritty, seedy environment by keeping everything minimally lit and hand- held. What really surprised me the most though, were the performances of all the actors. There isn't a bad performance in the bunch, which is something you generally expect in a low- budget indie film. The stand-out of course is the lead actress, Shera Becherd, who carries the film virtually all by herself. She's tough, vulnerable and incredibly sexy all at the same time. So often you see performances by women in revenge films who basically reduce themselves to female terminators - robotic killing machines without a feminine trait in sight - but her performance, considering her claims of never acting before, could easily go down as one of the best in the genre's history. There's also a striptease scene of her's that's worth the price of admission alone. I know I'll be hitting the rewind button a few times when I see it again on DVD... All in all, Sweet Karma was not only one of the stand-outs of the festival for me, but one of my favourite films of the year so far. Highly recommended!
