City of Ghosts

Matt Dillon co-authored, directed and starred in this medium-budget drama- thriller about a front-man (Dillon) and a con-man (Caan) connected by more than just an apprenticeship. The directing is very good, and the finished product is mostly polished and well paced. The acting is superb, with Caan, Dillon, Depardieu and Kem Sereyvuth giving memorable performances. The story line is also good, though not structurally original, and the script only fails in a few places. Part of the problem with the script may come from the fact that Dillon attempted to pack so much material into it - simultaneously making the protagonist a fully realized and sympathetic character and causing some important plot points such as those illustrating the developing romance between Dillon and McElhone to appear as little more than distracting loose threads.

Dillon and Caan have been working together since Dillon was nine years old. Both are con-artists pulling off elaborate insurance and development schemes, and Caan is Dillon's mentor. After one of these schemes goes bad, Dillon flees the US to try to find Caan in P'Nom Phen, Cambodia, where most of the story takes place. Just as Dillon manages to catch up with his mentor, things start to go much much worse, and the audience is caught in a shell game, wondering, to the end, who is conning who and how bad it might really get. All throughout this, Dillon's character is explored, developed, and grown into somebody markedly different from who he was at the beginning of the film. And the film ends up as much a character study as a thriller.

Some will likely find the lazy pace of this film grating. Others will be annoyed by the dialog-driven plot and the frequent pastiches of strangely alienating Cambodian scenery. This is a film which fits squarely in the independent art film tradition, and so, it won't appeal to most Hollywood action and crime drama fans. For my part, I was mesmerized by the soundtrack and Cambodian imagery, almost to the point that I no longer cared about the plot.

I'll look forward to Mr. Dillon's next film.

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.

Dillon plays with a neat neo-noir style that harkens back (in a good way) to Carol Reed's "Third Man" (post-Khmer Rouge Cambodia this time instead of post-WWII Vienna). Like Reed's masterpiece, the set is littered with charmingly seedy eccentrics (Stellan Skarsgård and Gérard Depardieu--in one his best roles)--although James Caan is no Harry Lime (hard as they try with the belated enterance). I really liked the unpretentious FEEL of this movie. The suspense is there (atleast until the end) and I liked how it holds its focus despite all the subplots and chaos. The score is suitably offbeat (again, nostalgic of Anton Karas' "Third Man" zither). Cool movie.

Matt Dillon makes his directorial debut with "City of Ghosts", the moody tale of Jimmy Cremmins, a con man seeking redemption in Cambodia. Dillon's was the first film to be shot in Cambodia since the 1960s, and the unfamiliar setting contributes much to the movie's allure. "City of Ghosts" has a remarkable look and feel that lend it resonance and lead one to anticipate Dillon's further outings as a director.

The actors fit nicely into their roles and deliver strong performances. Sereyvuth Kem, a real-life Cambodian cyclo driver, leaves a lasting impression as Jimmy's loyal friend Sok. The film's soundtrack- a heady international collection of pop music mixed with Tyler Bates' evocative score - adds another layer to the already-rich atmosphere. Stick around during the end credits for some of the best exit music in recent memory.

Yes the resolution of the movie was somewhat weak and contrived. But when I was sitting at the movie theater I was taken away to another place for the 2 hours that I was watching the movie. Having traveled in the third world I have to say that the movie captures perfectly the atmosphere of a place that is so far away that it could exist in another space and time as well as all the strange characters that tend to inhabit places like these. May be the movie does not do a good enough job of explaining things to those who have never visited a place with a different like Cambodia but I don't think it has to. Why do moviegoers expect the director to present everything neatly arranged on a platter? I was glad to go and see a movie that did not assume that I had no knowledge of history and no sense of what is happening in the Southeast Asia. While some of the characters may seem to be cliche I have actually met people like this while traveling. Local people are very friendly they have very tough lives but they open up in incredible ways if you try to get to know them as human beings. Part of the reason we go to movies is to be taken away. For two hours I was transported to a different world. Matt Dillon had enough sense to linger his shots to reflect the fact that times flows very differently in Cambodia. The contrast between the beauty and the serenity of Cambodia with the violence that goes there is great. I think the movie was absolutely magnificent (flawed but still beautiful)and one of the best I have seen in a long time.