Sound of Freedom Review

There's a reason why this picture has managed to carve out a substantial portion of the summer box office market - it's effective. It's the type of film that can entice those who don't usually go to the movies to see it. It makes little difference whether or not an audience shares the filmmakers' and their followers' extremist ideas. Sound of Freedom is an engrossing film that draws attention to one of the more heinous criminal subjects.

The film is directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde and starring Jim Caviezel, Bill Camp, Mira Sorvino, Gerardo Taracena, and Eduardo Verástegui, is about Tim Ballard (Caviezel) and his experience as a federal agent incarcerating pedophiles. He quickly understands that putting them behind bars isn't enough, and that the ultimate purpose is to save children from being exploited.

Some aspects could have worked better for the film as a whole. The timing seemed a little off, especially in the second and third acts. The running time does feel long, and this comes from someone who loves longer films to shorter ones. It might have been tightened up by cutting 20 minutes, and some of the conversation was hit or miss. The performances were all excellent, but I was particularly pleased by Cristal Aparicio and Lucás Vila, who played the siblings.

The film does not shy away from providing statistics about child trafficking, including the fact that the United States is one of the top customers. Conversations about this subject are difficult to conduct, but just because it makes someone uncomfortable does not mean it will go away.

So, what made me watch it? Because raising awareness of this issue may compel people to take action to put an end to it. I'd like to expand on a line from the film that says, "God's children are not for sale." ALL children are not for sale, do not belong in cages, and their existence and well-being should not be subject to political discussion.

Overall, ‘Sound of Freedom’ highlights the horrible reality of child trafficking and how it is critical not just to prosecute those who benefit from it, but also to rescue the children.