It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This documentary was nowhere near as interesting as it could have been. Why? Well because we never really got a real glimpse into the lives and existences of the prostitutes portrayed in the documentary.The documentary is divided into three segments; "The Fishtank" in Bangkok/Thailand, "The City of Joy" in Faridpur/Bangladesh, and finally "The Zone" in Reynosa/Mexico."The Fishtank" proved to be the most 'glamorous' of the places shown and of the three segments. Now, the word is being used in a less than positive way, mind you. Here the women sit on display behind a wall of glass for the patrons in the bar to gawk and pick from, calling out their numbers when they settle on a woman. This segment was also the least interesting, because it basically told no story of the women working there. It was all just about showing how the business worked at that given location."The City of Joy" was the most downtrodden and depressing of the segments. However, this was also where the director actually started to step up and show the story of some of the women working there. The conditions shown here were just atrocious, and there were even little children living in the environment. The milieu here was really harsh and gray."The Zone" turned out to be the must 'in-your-face' segment, in the terms that we we got to see the conditions the women were working under and also showed that drugs was, of course, a part of life in "The Zone". This segment also allowed the viewers to get to become acquainted with some of the women there. Be warned though, that this segment does hold some sexual graphic scenes, which might not just be suitable for anyone.I had expected to actually get a better insight in the world of prostitution and the world these people live in. But at almost 2 hours, this documentary proved to be very little educational. And as the end credits started to roll on the screen, I must admit that I sat there thinking "what was the purpose of this?". Director Michael Glawogger veered right away from anything that really could pass as educational and proper documentary.I just love the irony of how the synopsis claims: "The documentary revolves around the lives and individual hopes, needs and experiences of the women." This is such a stretch and can hardly pass as being proper information about the contents.If you enjoy documentaries about the shadier sides of life, then chances are that your time is much better spent elsewhere.

I had this movie in my instant queue for quite some time, but it never seemed to be the right time to watch. However, today as I scrolled through the 200+ long list of movies, I stopped over the title, and decided to go ahead and watch.It's always easy to judge someone based on something you know nothing about. Many people seem to think that all prostitutes are crack-heads or alcoholics, they think they're the scum of the universe; this movie shows you different.The movie gives us an almost one-of-a-kind look at the lives of these ladies, one that you aren't likely to get without going out and experiencing it personally. It shows you women who are wives and mothers, girls who are selling themselves to be able to afford to take classes in another vocation. It shows us that many of them share the same hopes and dreams many of us have; to have a good life and not have to worry about where your next meal will come from, to fall in love.I'm not naive enough to think that all prostitutes' lives are the same, but that just goes to show that you shouldn't stereotype. If you were a young woman and your only choices were to either live on the street and starve to death, or sell your body for just enough to get by, what would you do? What if selling your body was the only way to get money to feed your children?Overall a very poignant film which I enjoyed, I would recommend it if you're not offended easily by sexual situations.

This film was a surprise. It was quite interesting, and gave a real look into prostitution that I didn't expect to see. A very well made film. It wasn't until the end that I was disappointed. The graphic sex acts shown being performed were unnecessary, as was all the nudity that didn't present itself anywhere else in the film. The first two countries, Thailand and India, gave us honest looks into the lives of the women. I felt the last portion on Mexico further victimized these women and basically turned into a porno. The film lost some credibility when women started whipping their breasts out and allowed themselves to be filmed giving blow jobs.

The film is interesting and powerful, albeit depressing. No idea how the director got access to give us such a candid look, but this is a dark side of the world you won't see anywhere else. The subject is self explanatory, if you're at all interested about the lives of these women in Thailand, Bangladesh, and Mexico then you should experience this.My one critique is thematically, the movie is about prostitution in abject poverty, not prostitution as a "job", but does not make any distinction. The prostitutes in Bangladesh and Mexico he shows were in absolutely horrifying conditions - they were forced into it, threatened if they tried to leave, and barely paying for food. Whereas in Amsterdam, Germany, and even many in Bangkok treat it as an occupational choice. They can get other jobs, but choose to do this. Those are two VERY different circumstances that can have very different effects on people physically and emotionally. That would be my critique to keep in mind while watching. The movie is not so much a commentary on the evils of prostitution or even the lives of prostitutes, as it is delving into the darkest depth of what desperate conditions can bring.