City of Ghosts (2002)

A con man (Matt 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.

Director:

Matt Dillon

Writers:

Matt Dillon, Barry Gifford

Stars:

Matt Dillon, James Caan, Natascha McElhone

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

A con man flees to Southeast Asia when an international scam he was involved in goes sour. Suspecting he's been double-crossed by his long-time mentor, he sets off to Cambodia for his promised cut. What he finds there is a mysterious and hostile environment where even the most polished criminal can end up on deadly ground.

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Plot Keywords:

cambodia | nightclub | male bonding | loss of friend | buddhist temple | 

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Taglines:

where you go when you can't turn back.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

The buildings where the foggy final showdown takes place, are actually part of Bokor Hill Station, a colonial hill resort town built by the French in the 1920s. This site, on a mountain above Kampot in Southern Cambodia, included a church and Grand Bokor Palace, a hotel and casino. They were taken over by the Cambodian monarchs after the French left, and were a Khmer Rouge stronghold against the Vietnamese (the shelling is still visible, there are no windows left intact). Today the buildings are abandoned, crumbling and covered in red moss, but can still be visited.

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Goofs

Towards the end of the movie Jimmy is lying in the back seat of the cab with a red shirt covering his face. The cab driver wakes him up and Jimmy exits the cab and puts on a green shirt.

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Quotes

Jimmy: Excuse me.
Emile: Yeah?
Jimmy: I'm looking for a man named Casper.
Emile: I don't know everybody who comes in this place. What's your name?
Jimmy: Jimmy.
Emile: Can I get you something?
Jimmy: Beer.

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Crazy Credits

Thanks to the People of Cambodia.

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Connections

Referenced in Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005)

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Soundtracks

Giant Woman
Written by Vor Ho
Performed by Pen Ran

User Reviews

'Oh no, not Matt Dillon'.............get over it.

After reading some of the comments left by IMDB users I wasn't sure if I should actually waste a couple of hours by watching this film. After watching, though, I thought the comments were a little harsh.

Criticism's included under developed characters, thin plot, unexplained actions, and a poor performance by Matt Dillon. I am not, and never will be, a film studies student so I guess I am not 'qualified' to comment on any of the above, but in my own humble opinion the film progressed nicely and if people cared to watch carefully each action was easily understood.

If you can get over your immediate 'Matt Dillon, no thanks' attitude you may end up enjoying this film.

Details

Official Sites:

United Artists

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Khmer Russian

Release Date:

27 March 2003 (Israel)

Also Known As:

Beneath the Banyan Trees

Filming Locations:

Cambodia

Box Office

Budget:

$17,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,547, 27 April 2003

Gross USA:

$357,197

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,277,187

Company Credits

Production Co:

United Artists, Mainline Pictures, Banyan Tree

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1