City of Ghosts (2002)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Matt Dillon

Writers (WGA):

Matt Dillon (written by) &
Barry Gifford (written by)

Release Date:

27 March 2003 (Israel)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

where you go when you can't turn back.

Plot:

A con man (Dillon) travels to Cambodia (also on the run from law enforcement in the U.S.) to collect his share in an insurance scam, but discovers more than he bargained for...

Plot Keywords:

Cambodia | Con Man | Fog | Skeleton | Male Bonding

Cast

Matt Dillon	...	Jimmy
James Caan	...	Marvin
Natascha McElhone	...	Sophie
Gérard Depardieu	...	Emile (as Gerard Depardieu)
Kem Sereyvuth	...	Sok (as Sereyvuth Kem)
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Joseph Kaspar
Rose Byrne	...	Sabrina
Shawn Andrews	...	Robbie
Chalee Sankhavesa	...	Sideth
Christopher Curry	...	Larry Luckman
Rob Campbell	...	Simon (as Robert Campbell)
Bernard Merklen	...	Gerard
Jack Shearer	...	FBI Agent Burden
Kirk Fox	...	FBI Agent Philips
Kyoza	...	Rocky

Also Known As:

Beneath the Banyan Trees (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Khmer | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #38928) | Finland:K-15 | Hungary:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Australia:M | Norway:15 | Canada:A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

The fruit that Sok takes back for his wife is durian. This green, soccer-ball-sized fruit has a green spiky rind and yellow, custard-like sweet flesh. It is famous for its odor. In fact, it stinks so much that it is forbidden to carry it on certain airlines, as well as in Singapore's public transport system. This is why Jimmy asks "Is it supposed to smell like that?"

Quotes:

Sok: [about his military background] I never want to kill people again.

Soundtrack:

Wait Ten Months

The third world without rose colored glasses

If all City of Ghosts was was a travelogue of postwar Cambodia it would be an accomplishment, but it is in its own way a well built film noir in a very unusual, very appropriate setting. Dillon's character goes to Cambodia to collect money from a real estate scam artist. Like the best noirs, what he finds has more to do with who he is than with any money.

Dillon is strong as the stories jaded, soiled hero. James Caan and Stellen Skarsgaard support well as the con men. And Gerard Depardieu provides strong support as a man who has apparently adjusted to living in hell. The movie starts a touch slowly but be patient. It's worth it. There isn't a lot of violence in this movie but what there is is fairly shocking.