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

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, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$43,061, 14 July 2017

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Caan (Marvin) and Stellan Skarsgård (Joseph Kaspar) appeared in Dogville (2003) as The Big Man & Chuck respectively)

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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

Emile: [Pushes Jimmy aside and rushes at the bandit, still carrying the little girl] Let me take care of this piece of shit!

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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

Hilo Hula
Traditional
Performed by Mike Hanapi and The Ilima Islanders
Courtesy of the RCA Records Label, A Unit of BMG Entertainment
Under license from BMG Special Products

User Reviews

Excellent mood and atmosphere

What I really enjoyed about "City of Ghosts": The atmosphere of modern Cambodia; the understated characters and storytelling.

I recently spent a couple of weeks in Cambodia. The portrayal of Cambodia in the movie brought back many memories of the place, and I found the overall feeling to be accurate. We get a sense of the sadness and tragic history of the country, its current condition, and the wonderful warmth of its people (as portrayed by Sok, the cyclo driver, who is absolutely authentic).

Some reviewers have complained that Cambodia is portrayed too negatively in this film. However, the bad elements shown - brothels, mugging and beating, corruption, Generals building casinos, and the run-down condition of Phnom Penh - are real. The film is about criminal characters who are doing some "business" in Cambodia, so it makes sense to see these seedy elements. To put it in perspective: we see many movies that show Los Angeles as a gang-ridden city with daily drive-by shootings, but that is only one slice of the city. (I do encourage everyone to visit Cambodia - it is a fantastic and beautiful place - but be aware, and pay attention to the warnings in your guidebook!)

"City of Ghosts" does not sensationalize the seedy aspects of Cambodia. It merely shows them as part of the story being told. It does not get bogged down in the mud, but uses it as part of the backdrop of the story.

The comparison to "The Third Man" is interesting and relevant. It points out how, in our modern world, not only is "Harry Lime" (Marvin) corrupt and soulless, but "Holly Martins" (Jimmy) is complicit in the crimes. We also see that the crimes of Harry Lime have become institutionalized and common today, not only in the third world (Generals spend tax and aid money building luxurious casinos, while Phnom Penh still looks like a war zone after twenty-five years of peace), but in the United States ("City of Ghosts" opens with massive insurance fraud perpetrated in the U.S. by Marvin).

There is more depth to "City of Ghosts" than first meets the eye. Its understated style is deceptive. Rather than over-sensationalizing and over-dramatizing, it gives us something to think about.