Despite its obvious low budget, and some weak writing, I thought this was a pretty good movie. The plot is a little contrived and some character development could have been handled better but overall I found it worth my time to watch. If anything, I'm impressed the movie did so much with so little. Lou Diamond Phillips is a solid performer, and I didn't find much to criticize even with the supporting and bit players. It wasn't as highly charged as the typical Hollywood effort (I'm thinking of TAKEN here...a movie with a vaguely similar theme and plot) but instead it had a more documentary feel that contributed to my willingness to overlook some plot holes.

I was wondering where LDP went a couple of years ago, and suddenly *and oddly* he keeps on popping up in after midnight movies...But I really, really want LDP to get back on the mainstream circuit... and even to a spot where he finds his niche. Psycho badass? Yea, he got game! A gay rodeo clown? OK. He could pull that off.. corrupt mid level CIA operative in Moldova with a cocaine habit? Sure.. with the right vehicle I KNOW he can do well. I am rooting for his success (I did not know I was this much of a fan - heee).This movie was flat, fine. But it was great seeing LDP kick some buttock! There also was a nice exchange between him and the corporate lawyer that developed satisfyingly. And a few great personal moments where the reactions of the actors to each other was very personal... nice interplay. LDP looks good, it was free on HDTV... and with a bowl of ice cream and the cat I must give this film a very solid 7 for personal entertainment value.

This film wasn't half bad(some of it really was)but all in all it was a movie that meant well, but fell apart at some of the scenes. Like David(Lou Diamond Phillips)goes to a woman's shelter that has signs posted in clear view that say "Absolutely No Men" however when he comes back later to check and see if anyone else is around, he checks the mens washroom?? I did not know what to think of this film although I did notice right away near the end of the film he has a moment with his other daughter , they shot it in "Marina's Gelato" on 224th street here in Maple Ridge. Also to confirm the location when they shoot Lou in this scene outside across the street is Cash Canada(closed and for sale) This was about the sex trade industry however it was another Die Hard film where it is he against the rest of the world where EVERYONE is corrupt.The ending did not sum anything up at all as the previous writer mentioned. Their take on it also is just that, their trying to make something out of nothing.The sex trade industry has been going on for years, does not make it right but it just gave them a topic to shoot a movie.In the end all the people that tried to end this industry either ended up dead or in jail, that the kind of hope we want to leave the viewer with?If someone helps it had better be more than one man taking on yet another army of heavily armed men,he is a security guard they make no mention of him receiving any further training in arms or fighting but yet he takes them all down.

"Transparency" is a modern day conspiracy theory film whose plot is a lot more interesting than its characters. Take just the first 15-20 minutes. Like many great films, "Transparency" begins with the mundane. A middle-aged security guard David (Lou Diamond Phillips) goes to work and then, after a long day, double checks the vehicles that went in and out of the building with his buddy Reg (Aaron Pearl). David notices an inconsistency. It could be nothing. But instead he makes a terrifying discovery. This plot twist leads to several others until David is in way over his head.The best part about this film are the plot twists and the ending, which avoid the familiar clichés of Hollywood endings. The movie is called "Transparency" because that is what David, the hero, is searching for. But as in real life, discovering the true villains and the truth becomes almost impossible. Only in Hollywood films are all wrongs set to right and all answers provided. This film is not afraid to avoid giving anything away.Yet at the same time, "Transparency" has significant weaknesses. David's back story, which comes across as contrived and absurd, could have been left out completely. David did not need to be a troubled guy with issues. He could have been the ordinary guy who unwittingly gets himself into a lot of trouble and the film would have still worked. The other problem are the action scenes. David is middle-aged, but apparently he can dodge firing machine guns and beat up Mafiosos. Finally, the performances throughout this film were, with the exception of Lou Diamond Phillips, well below par. The Russian villains were little more than caricatures. Estella Warren (known for her performance as the love interest in "Planet of the Apes") seems like a struggling actress who has shown up on set to collect her pay cheque. Her performance is largely contrived. The American villains are surprisingly boring, including the middle-aged lawyer Danielle (Deborah Kara Unger) who seems to be asleep throughout most of this picture. As a rule, villains have to be unstable, sadistic, and have sharp intellects to be terrifying. But unfortunately none of the villains come close to this standard. In fact, the best villains in this movie are the ones that cannot be seen, like the big corporate executives and maybe powerful figures inside the federal government.In conclusion, reviewing this film presents a interesting challenge. On the one hand, the story line was entertaining throughout most of the film. Yet, I had the feeling too that I was seeing a low budget indie film with cheap sets and a gloomy atmosphere. But worst of all, the characters did not interest me or inspire any sympathy from me, not least because the actors delivered poor performances. So it was a very close call, but in the end a very marginal thumbs up. This film is worth seeing solely for its unusual plot because it simply has nothing else to offer. 5.7/10