I was working in Phnom Penh and saw this movie at The Flicks Community Movie House. For me, it perfectly captures both the light and the darkness of modern Cambodia. Cambodia is Eden -- lush, green, magical, innocent. And the opening montage of shots in and around Phnom Penh perfectly captures the pure joy that foreigners can often feel as they experience this wondrous place. But the story of Eden also contains the fall. And what tourists (like the 3 Australians in the film) don't always get, is that Cambodia is still healing, still recovering from the wars (2nd Indochina, followed by Pol Pot, followed by 19 years of civil war). And just beneath the surface of paradise, there can be real danger especially for those who don't know what they are dealing with. I walked out of the theater (into the blasting heat of Phnom Penh) grateful that someone understood and was able to capture through film the complex energies of this moment in this place. (Even though more than half of the movie takes place in Australia, this is very much a movie about Cambodia -- as seen through the eyes of foreigners.)
This was also the first time I've seen Joel Edgerton in anything -- and he's a brilliant actor I think (I'm told he's been a big deal in Australia for a while). I just saw Edgerton in Zero Dark Thirty in a small role. I also rented (bought?) Animal Kingdom on iTunes because he was in it and he's great in that too.
I'm hoping Wish You Were Here gets a theatrical release in the U.S. If not, I'm hoping it will get a release soon on iTunes and Amazon.com. I've probably checked both places 10 times hoping it will be available but no release yet. I plan to recommend this movie to friends and family (in spite of the very intense subject matter) just because it captures the energy of the place that is so hard to put into words.
Your mileage may vary. But this movie hit me at just the right time and 6 months later, I'm scouring the internet trying to find a way to see it again.
