Girl Lost: A Hollywood Story

Unexpectedly good movie. Reminds, not only because of the leading actress, of "Christiane F.: Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo" from 1981. Dark, depressing and ruthless!

I'm from the UK, and often visit the US, done some amazing trips, went to Hollywood with my parents in the 90s, Stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel opposite the Chinese Theatre, all i heard was gun shots and when we left the hotel, saw ladies of the night. We got the Stars coach tour, and suddenly this couple got up and tried to sell us drugs. My 1st visit to the US, and my last visit to Hollywood, you have the sign and the Chinese Theatre with the Museum and of course Disney.

Also remember my Dad loved to walk and went out for a early walk around 7am, got back to the hotel and the receptionist thought he was nuts. "to walk along Hollywood Boulevard on his own wearing a watch and rings.

Been to New York many times, walked about day and night never had that same vibe as LA gave me.

As Billy Joel sang, Goodbye to Hollywood.

This film begins with a teenage girl by the name of "Hope" (Moxie Owens) chatting on the internet with her former babysitter "Paige" (Cody Renee Cameron) who has taken up residence in Los Angeles and eventually lures Hope into coming to Hollywood to become a fashion model. The scene then shifts to a single mother known simply as "Baby Girl" (Psalms Salazar) who has just gotten fired from her job as a topless dancer and is not only behind on her rent and but also lacks any means to cover her other expenses. So, she turns to prostitution for a while but gets convinced by Paige and her friend "Destiny" (Brooke Haven) that she can make more money and provide a safer environment for her daughter if she also becomes a fashion model. What neither Hope nor Baby Girl realize is just how devious and narcissistic both Paige and Destiny are and soon they find themselves caught up in a web of degradation and sexual deviance they never thought possible. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this is not an enjoyable film to watch. However, it does convey a startling message that these kinds of deplorable abuses don't just happen in other countries--they also occur here in America and it's something everyone should know about. So, to a certain degree this was a powerful film as far as it goes. Unfortunately, there were also a couple of flaws that bear mention as well. First of all, the film doesn't provide adequate character identification, so it was difficult to figure out the names of anyone at any particular time--the character played by Psalms Salazar being one such example. Likewise, the ending also left much to be desired as it raised more questions than it answered. Throw in some rather sordid footage in between and it can easily repel some viewers along the way. Be that as it may, while this film may be difficult for some people to watch it does merit some attention and for that reason, I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Movie attempts to tell the story of the sex trade apparently without knowing anything about the sex trade. But with bad everything; writing, acting, photography, sound, you name it, they manage to convey the simple truth that not everyone is cut out for Hollywood. Not even pandemic grade viewing. AVOID!

Chunks of this film has terrible acting, dialogue, direction and production values. But once you are aware of that, you will keep watching. It has a good story and it's got a realistic backdrop.

I was a bit dubious wether to watch it or not. With a prominent female cast and writer/director, I was expecting a feminist agenda. To be fair, that's not the case. I'm sure if it had the budget for better actors (there were several good actors in this movie) and production, I'm sure it would be a commercial success.

It's the story that makes this interesting. Not the cheesy dialogue or performances in parts. Give it a watch.