Easily one of the biggest surprise hits of the 2023 movie year is “Sound of Freedom”, a gripping fact-based thriller that was completed five years ago but struggled to find distribution. With the help of crowdfunding rather than big studio backing, “Sound of Freedom” has finally made its way it to theaters and has found itself a passionate and vocal audience. To no surprise the movie has also found plenty of detractors.

Unfortunately slanted positions on politics and faith have clouded much of the discourse surrounding the film to the point that its overarching message is often being overlooked. That’s a shame because “Sound of Freedom” strikes up a sensitive yet necessary conversation about the world’s fastest growing international crime network – the under-reported human trafficking trade. It’s an issue we all should be affected by, and the film’s clear-eyed perspective shines a much-needed light on this horrifying reality.

Directed and co-written by Alejandro Monteverde, “Sound of Freedom” doesn’t sugarcoat the very real subject matter at its center, addressing it with an almost uncomfortable clarity. At the same time there is a deep sense of compassion that comes through in both Monteverde’s focused direction and the intense performance from the film’s lead, Jim Caviezel.

Caviezel plays Tim Ballard who in real-life quit his job as a Department of Homeland Security Agent in 2013 and founded Operation Underground Railroad, a non-profit organization dedicated to stopping human sex-trafficking. The film dramatizes his days working on the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. We’re also given a good grasp of the frustration that led him to break off on his own to track down and save captives (many of them children) and bring to justice their captors.

The film begins with a devastating gut-punch of an opening that paints for us a clear picture of how crafty traffickers can be in luring children into their webs. In this case it’s an 11-year-old girl Rocio (Cristal Aparicio) and her 7-year-old brother Miguel (Lucás Ávila) who are abducted in Honduras. In California, Ballard and his team arrest a local pedophile who they discover has deep ties with Central American human traffickers. Through the creep (and in a way I won’t spoil) Ballard finds out about Miguel and manages to rescue the young boy.

Afterwards Ballard learns of Miguel’s sister, Rocio who he pledges to find and bring home. He tracks her to Cartagena, Columbia where he teams up with a local police officer named Jorge (Javier Godino) and Vampiro (Bill Camp), a former cartel collaborator seeking to atone for his past sins. After landing some strong leads, the trio put together an ambitious plan. But just as they’re about to pull the trigger, Ballard’s agency pulls his funding and orders him back to California. Tired of the bureaucracy, Ballard promptly resigns and begins working on another way to save Rocio before it’s too late.

The film’s riveting first half is followed by a second half that draws itself out a little too long. Yet it remains enthralling throughout largely thanks to Caviezel. His performance is a captivating mix of steely determination and heartfelt vulnerability. Better yet, he’s no Rambo archetype. Instead we’re given wisely grounded portrayal that is exactly what the story needs.

And despite its meager backing and modest budget, the movie looks as good (and as expensive) as most Hollywood studio productions. Much of it is due to Monteverde’s keen instincts with the camera and the stellar lensing from cinematographer Gorka Gómez Andreu. Shooting on location in Cartagena only adds to the visual authenticity.

“Sound of Freedom” is a tough movie to watch and it should be. At the same time it never overplays the dangers or milks the audience’s emotions. Yes, it has specific scenes that are sure to provoke responses from those watching. But they’re mostly well earned rather than manipulative, especially if your heart is in the right place while watching. So say what you will about the movie. In the end it rises above the dubious claims and disingenuous concerns to offer a compelling and at times unflinching exposé that will stick with you for a long time. “Sound of Freedom” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

1973’s “Serpico” was almost a much different movie. By that I don’t mean a different spin or a different genre. I mean there were some dramatically different creatives first attached to the gritty biographical crime drama. Sam Peckinpah was once in line to direct but eventually backed out. But the kicker was Robert Redford and Paul Newman, both relatively fresh off working together in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “The Sting”, were set to star with Redford playing the titular character Frank Serpico. They too left the project.

It was a bumpy road, but soon Sidney Lumet was brought in to direct. Even more notable, Al Pacino was given the lead role. Written by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler, “Serpico” was an adaptation of a 1973 book by author Peter Maas. It told the true story of New York City police officer Frank Serpico who came face to face with rampant police corruption. It was a gutsy film for its time and it received criticism from some within the NYPD and other groups who claimed the feature overlooked key parts and underrepresented key people from the true account.

Early on we see Frank Serpico as a young ambitious Italian who graduated from the New York Police Academy and was eventually stationed at a hopping downtown precinct. He starts as a patrolman but his feel for the street gets him promoted to a plainclothes officer. But he quickly begins seeing the underside of the department. And when he refuses to take a $300 payoff, Frank breaks an unwritten rule within the fraternity that puts him at odds with many of his fellow cops.

Pressure mounts for Frank to fall in line but he continues to resist, going as far as to become the eyes and ears of the commissioner. With a target on his back from both within and outside the department, Frank finds himself buckling under the pressure. Pacino’s performance organically evolves throughout the movie, turning his character from a well-intended but naive idealist to a hardened and stressed-out cynic. Pacino’s appearance mirrors the change, going from clean and buttoned-up to blousy shirts, bucket hats, and sandals.

Pacino would go on to win a Golden Globe and be nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. While the script doesn’t always do his character favors, Pacino is able to keep both his character and the story itself centered. He’s helped by a solid supporting cast featuring John Randolph, Jack Kehoe, Barbara Eda-Young, Tony Roberts, and Biff McGuire. Look close and you’ll also catch a couple of fun uncredited appearances by Judd Hirsch and F. Murray Abraham.

“Serpico” certainly had its detractors mainly among those who felt it veered too far away from the true account and was a little too selective in how it chose to focus its story. But as entertainment goes it works well as a big city crime drama with a sprinkle of neo-noir flavoring. And in the end the strengths of Lumet’s direction, Pacino’s performance, and Arthur J. Ornitz’s gritty cinematography are more than enough to get past the film’s handful of stumbles.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS