City Of Ghosts Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
where you go when you can't turn back.
When fear is the currency, what is the price of hope.
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.
| Gérard Depardieu | Emile |
| James Caan | Marvin |
| Natascha McElhone | Sophie |
| Stellan Skarsgård | Joseph Kaspar |
| Matt Dillon | Jimmy |
| Kem Sereyvuth | Sok |
| Rose Byrne | Sabrina |
| Shawn Andrews | Robbie |
| Chalee Sankhavesa | Sideth |
| Christopher Curry | Larry Luckman |
| Rob Campbell | Simon |
| Bernard Merklen | Gerard |
| Jack Shearer | FBI Agent Burden |
| Kirk Fox | FBI Agent Philips |
| Kyoza | Rocky |
| Matt Dillon |
5.70 out of 10 (1628 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Matt Dillon Has written the Most Original Screenplay I have seen In 12 years
posted on 09 Mar 2009Matt Dillon has, in my mind, put together the single most Original Screenplay I have seen in 12 years. "City Of Ghosts" is the kind of movie that we need many more of. Go to this movie with THE EXPECTATION OF BEING INCREDIBLY ENTERTAINED AND IMMERSED IN A FANTASTIC STORY IN AN EXOTIC LAND. 1st of all, The story here is Incredibly interesting and grabs you from the very beginning. Man looking for Boss who has potentially used him to front for a 10 Million dollar insurance scam over hurricane victims homes. Ah, but there is sooo much more to it than that. Next, the acting is so fantastic that this movie immediately conjures up Images and memories of a vaguely similar yet far INFERIOR film, "The Killing Fields". Finally, this movie is shot on Location in Both Bangkok Thailand and Cambodia making for an incredibly Original film experience for North American audiences. I have never liked Gerard Depardieu in a single thing he has done but he SHINES and is without a doubt Fantastic here as a Disgruntled Hotel Operator in Phnom Pen. Of all of the movies I have seen in the Past 12 years, this was the Single Most Original and Matt Dillon has, weather anyone likes it or not, created a social masterpiece with a message that is so relevant in today's world it needs to be required viewing for people all over the world !!! Most importantly the message of this movie has to do with what it Really is To be RICH in the TRUE sense of the word. Something sorely missing from most of today's consciousness. !!!
Pretty lame story of foreign intrigue.
posted on 09 Dec 2008This was one confusing film. There were too many characters and subplots to keep up with, and none of them were particularly interesting. I think Matt Damon should stay in front of the camera - he has little talent for direction.Matt Dillon plays Jimmy, who is associated with Marvin (James Caan) - the pair are scam artists. Jimmy flees New York when their insurance company/Ponzi scheme collapses and heads to Cambodia where Marvin is hiding out from the Russians (why isn't exactly clear). Jimmy is tired of the life and wants out, though he doesn't care about his cut from the insurance deal.I think the idea was Dillon would play this world-weary criminal who tries to save his mentor and instead falls in love with a beautiful idealist, but the film is too muddled in its presentation to make that story work. Caan's character is one without remorse though he's still protective of Jimmy. And Jimmy's conversion to the honest life just seems flat.Matt Dillon does a pretty good job of acting, even if he's stuck with his own writing. I don't think he'll ever reach the impact in his adult life that he made as a teenager but he's got talent. James Caan doesn't have much to do, which is surprising considering his stature.Gèrard Depardieu is probably the most interesting person in the film, playing a shifty barkeeper in Phnom Penh. Natascha McElhone is there for eye candy and to provide an excuse for Jimmy going straight. Stellan Skarsgård plays a shady associate of Marvin's and is one of the more confusing elements in the film.Heavy on atmosphere but light on substance, and the direction is a problem as the story becomes very confusing. Has its moments but not a very good movie. A much better film about foreign intrigue that was released this past year was "The Quiet American" with Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser.
a charming and very underrated film
posted on 01 Nov 2008I am surprised to see this film has such an average rating, because it's certainly not average. it's beautifully filmed in southeast Asia and the settings are unromanticized, perfectly chosen and very beautiful. the music is perfect and the performances were very authentic. for me to get drawn into a movie in any real way I need to be able to connect with at least one of the characters. here I was interested in all of the characters, some of whom I found very compelling, and the relationships between them were very interesting and complex without being overly dramatic. in all it was a very genuine film.Matt Dillon really surprised me here, having directed an excellent film and pulled off a very convincing performance. it's sad this movie doesn't seem to have gotten the attention it deserves.highly recommended.
Un-engaging
posted on 30 Oct 2008*** Contains a few ambiguous spoilers of sorts ***I'll cut to the chase for this one, so here are the key points regarding this film:The character introduction and development is generally awful save for a few parts. No connection is established from the viewer to the characters bar the Cambodian taxi man and a few of the more eccentric chaps such as the hotelier/barman. Precious little is known about most of the characters including the love interest amongst others, it's possibly one of the poorest films I've ever watched in this respect.The story is largely un-engaging. Once again, the viewer isn't immersed with wonder, frantically wanting to rush on and find out what's going on. Why? It's quite simple. We barely know anything about anyone, so why should one care when someone is kidnapped, killed or a victim of any other harmful activity? I was hardly climbing the walls in anxiety at any point of this movie. In fact, I was 100% indifferent towards the outcome. The people might as well have been card-board cut-outs, because I did not care one jot. I wasn't interested in where the story was going, nor was I interested when it got there. That just about sums the whole film up.It is a beautifully shot film with a few other nice elements, but altogether it's just un-engaging dross. I can't believe the average critics' ratings for this film was so good.It might be worth a watch if you're bored one day, but otherwise give it a wide berth.
City of Ghosts on Reel 13
posted on 20 Oct 2008The latest Reel 13 "Indie" is another film, like last month's A PROBLEM WITH FEAR that doesn't feel very much like an indie. It stars Matt Dillon, James Caan and Stellan Skaarsgard and is shot almost entirely in Cambodia. IMDb reports the budget to be $17.5 million. How does any film that cost over $10 million qualify as an independent film? While I question its status as an independent film, CITY OF GHOSTS is hardly as mind numbing as A PROBLEM WITH FEAR. As a matter of fact, it has a lot of great qualities, but somehow still doesn't capture the viewer in the way you would want it to.Aside from a sadly two-dimensional and useless Natasha McElhone love-interest character, the rest of the characters in the film are well-developed and well-played. Matt Dillon, who also directs, is extremely subtle and nuanced in a role that wisely seems to play well to his strengths. James Caan plays an underworld kingpin type role that he's played a million times, but adds terrific layers of pathos and regret that help shape the character. Not surprisingly, Skaarsgard is great at depicting the way fear, guilt and greed can eat away at a soul.The plot, which is kind of like a modern-day, Southeast Asian version of THE THIRD MAN is well laid-out and full of plausible, interesting twists. The cinematography by Jim Denault is rich in texture and palette. The design is believable and detailed. So, with all these strong elements, it's initially hard to figure out why they don't all add up to a great film.In thinking about it further, I've decided that the fatal flaw of the film comes in the first act. In Dillon's haste to get the plot rolling, he and his screen writing partner, Barry Gifford neglected to get us to care about or like the main character of Jimmy. They are good about giving us information and backstory in regards to the character and all of his actions make sense and are understandable. As I said, Dillon portrays him believably as a complex, haunted man, but it occurred to me that at no point did I root for him. I understand that Dillon wanted to create a character that doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve and whose essence was deeper than he would ever reveal to people he meets. Still, I think the audience has to see it. An example of a similar character done very well is Matt Damon in THE GOOD SHEPHERD. Damon plays one of the most quiet, understated and seemingly emotionless characters of the decade, but he, in collaboration with his director Robert DeNiro, portray occasional moments of weakness throughout the film – moments where his guard is let down. No character within the film is privy to these moments – only the audience and it's just enough to connect you with the character and hence to get you emotionally involved in the character's journey. That's the missing link in CITY OF GHOSTS. It may seem like a small thing, but in the house of cards that is film-making, it would be one of the cards that you need on the very bottom. Without it, the whole thing comes toppling down.(For more more information on this or any other Reel 13 film, check out their website at www.reel13.org)
International Cast Gives PolishTo This Hidden Gem
posted on 21 May 2008This is one of the few sleazy films that I've seen more than once and will continue to watch every couple of years. Perhaps it's just because I love the colors in here and it's a strange movie, a strange story in an exotic locale: Cambodia. Exotic, but you wouldn't want to live there, at least the parts shown in this film!Although showing a lot of dingy city scenes, the Cambodian scenery was fascinating. I found the story to be, too, only if to find out what was in store next for the lead character played by Matt Dillon. There are so many bizarre characters in here, nobody that you can really trust, that it keeps you on edge.Another odd thing about this film: it's quite a mixture of international actors: Dillon and James Caan, both from the United States; Natasha Melhone from Great Britain, Gerald Depardieu from France, Stellan Skarggard from Sweden and Kem Sereyvuth from Cambodia. The latter is the only truly nice person in the whole movie, playing Dillon's faithful guide, "Sok."The movie, which plays like a film noir, gets a bit ugly at the end but is well worth your time.
painful at best
posted on 05 May 2008okay, so my friends and i went to our local indie theater last night, just to see what was playing. foolishly, we bought tickets for this movie, thinking we were seeing "city of god," the movie about brazilian gangs and slums that got rave reviews. (hey, everyone makes mistakes...)so we were the only 4 people in the theater, and began to wonder why. "city of god" was supposed to be excellent. the movie began with scenes of a flood, and the name 'matt dillon' flashed across the screen."what?!" asked my friend, in outrage. "what is this crap? do you guys want to leave?""no, no," we all said, "we don't know, maybe this movie could turn out to be good."in retrospect, we should have left right then.(SPOILERS)this was quite possibly the worst movie ive EVER seen. the only aspects saving it were the standout performance of gerard depardieu (whom we laughed at in the opening credits, making predictable 'my father the hero' and 'bogus' jokes, but he actually held the movie together) and the cinematography of cambodia.when 2 of my friends actually walked out of the theater halfway through the movie, one said, "boy, i sure hope there are some more ambiguous killing scenes" within the 5 minutes after she left, we saw at least 3 more.i was horribly disappointed in james caan's role, matt dillon's pompous writing of his own character, and the lack of cohesiveness about the entire movie.when the 2 of us who stayed for the rest of the movie joined the 2 that left, they asked us, "so what happened?"we had to respond that we really had no idea. this movie wasnt supposed to be a comedy, but i laughed throughout the entire thing at how ridiculous it was. 30 second scenes would show a person being stabbed, and you wouldnt know who it was, why they had been killed, or who had done it, and it would only be mentioned again in passing, if at all.our theory was that matt dillon got really drunk and wrote this movie.. "yeah, landmines would be cool! and a severed leg, and some 13 year old cambodian whores, and... and yeah a big gunfight, and oh, ill hook up with the hot chick, and there should be lots of drinking, and the old guy should end up being my dad! thats a blockbuster hit right there!"save your money on this one.
Total Nonsense(spoiler)
posted on 27 Apr 2008Whilst there is some good scenes and acting in this film, the story is on the whole totally preposterous and nonsense. The writer obviously has no proper knowledge of either con artists or people in this part of the world. The writer experts us to believe that: 1. A con artist who has participated in stealing millions from people would suddenly see the light and give away his fortune to some taxi driver; Furthermore: 2. Anyway who is familiar with this part of Asia knows that a taxi driver with such good English would steal all he can from any foreigner; 3.And the climax of the film is money given away for charitable purposes but in reality it would be pocketed greedily by a local. Once again the film industry is telling lies to the public. In what the writer sees as a romantic and Hollywood style ending what in fact he is doing is simply adding more nonsense to a movie overlaid with it. 2 out of 10.
This movie takes you away
posted on 21 Apr 2008Yes 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.
Great grown-up entertainment
posted on 01 Apr 2008This film is a wonderful surprise. Matt Dillon has long been an underrated actor, and it appears that he can now look forward, sadly, to being treated as an underrated writer-director. (Sean Penn also gets the same sorry treatment for his terrific efforts at directing). For someone who started his career as a teenage pretty-boy actor, Dillon has taken a lot of chances over the years, playing some unsympathetic characters in offbeat movies. In doing so, he's developed into an ever more subtle performer with a naturalistic screen persona, an attractive slightly gravelly voice, an understated comic sensibility, and an even more arresting handsomeness than he possessed as a young man. His first film as director is a carefully observed, quiet, almost cerebral sort of thriller. It has a complex (but easily followed) plot in the long tradition of Western wastrels caught up in Asian intrigue. The movie is gorgeously photographed in exotic locations, rich in atmosphere, fun to watch (for its odd details and its plot), and packed with top flight character actors who work side by side with Asian non-professionals to provide a host of entertaining character studies. My major criticism is that the stunningly beautiful Natascha McElhone has little to do other than look stunningly beautiful. Dillon and his fellow writer Barry Gifford blessedly resist resolving the movie with chases and explosions that a less mature sensibility might have been tempted to tack on. This is an engrossing movie that provides "adult entertainment" in the best possible sense. It's a pity the movie didn't get wider theatrical distribution, but now that it's available on video, viewers who long for some old-fashioned, well-written, grown-up viewing satisfaction in a visually stunning package should check this out. It would make a great double bill with "The Quiet American."
hardboiled khmer karma
posted on 30 Mar 2008Not an action film, nor really a thriller...the intrigue is undermined by so many levels of potential double (and triple and upward) crossing.This was still an enchanting film for me, spiced by an exotic setting. The bo tree, cyclo drivers, the laughing lotus girls, Buddhist funeral rites and ancient temples and such were all woven well into the film. This was more eye candy for me than Natascha McElhone's perfunctory all-weather-resistant love interest for Matt Dillon.Dillon does get knocked around enough to make this look on the surface like a film noir, but I really think it is a meditation on karma. Dillon's scenes with Sok, the cyclo driver, have a lot more charge than those with Sophie.In a country still in the bloody red wake of the Khmer Rouge, the brutality and the dangerous deceptions don't seem that far-fetched, well at least to this arm-chair traveler.The music too was exquisite, not just the 60's Cambodian pop, but Tyler Bates' underthemes and of course James Caan's karaoke as well.For Joseph Campbell fans, there is a pursuit of the father as well...but really the side trails, including a Buddhist nun burning her photo and an Australian looking for a damsel in distress. These contribute to an aura of people looking to change, looking for redemption. Caan's character ends up telling this a little too explicitly, but the film did an admirable job of showing it.Not on par with Duvall's "The Apostle" (a must see), but I'd like to see Dillon find another county or concept he falls in love with and makes a film of. I'd give this a 6.5, but on the discreet IMDB scale, I give it a6/10 ....you can definitely dance to it in parts. ;>
An interesting film, worth a look
posted on 13 Dec 2007Set in Cambodia a generation after a bloody revolution and civil war, this film follows the adventures of a smalltime crook, Jimmy, who is tracking down an older man responsible for an insurance scam and who has absconded with the money. He arrives in a country full of gangsters and opportunist thieves - not knowing who to trust, he is robbed and beaten up as often as any hero of a film noir movie.Modern Cambodia is depicted as a hell on Earth - with the exception of a rickshaw driver, Suk, the locals are shown as violent and untrustworthy. Once again a foreign locale is simply a backdrop for white villains to have a shootout. But this doesn't detract too much from a film that is in many ways a homage to "The Third Man", with Phnom Penh standing in for a ruined postwar Vienna, the Harry Lime-equivalent seedy and enigmatic, and the protagonist equally unsympathetic at first. Odd camera angles and flashback shots abound. The love interest seems tacked on - and a reason for having a female character - but gives Jimmy an incentive to abandon his life of crime and go straight.An interesting film, worth a look.
Confusing "City"
posted on 21 Nov 2007Upon watching "City of Ghosts," you may wonder what the heck you just saw. Matt Dillon co-wrote and directed this dour drama set in Thailand. Jimmy (Dillon) flees the United States after authorities grow suspicious with his involvement with an insurance scam. He flies overseas to Cambodia, where he is looking for Marvin (James Caan), a seasoned con artist who taught him never to trust anyone, especially when money is involved. Both are unaware of the price they'll have to pay for their avarice."City of Ghosts" has a quality reminiscent of film noir, with its shady characters and exotic setting. It does fail in establishing character and a strong plot. The premise is as confusing as the lead character. Viewers will be confused as well. It could have been better.
Excellent
posted on 08 Oct 2007Matt Dillon's direction is Excellent. The atmosphere captured by this movie is quite good. City of Ghosts' ability to keep Thailand's past connected to the present in the story line is coherent and not bludgeoning and this is commendable. Cinemtography here is also very good. Not too much fight club green not to much city of god. An excllent balance that keeps the viewer close but not too close collectively. Bravo. Excellent storytelling and very coherent. Highly Recommend. Can't wait for Matt Dillon's next movie.
A wanted US conman flees to Cambodia in search for his partner in crime
posted on 05 Aug 2007I have to admit, I was in many ways positively surprised by this film. In particular by Matt Dillon. I've always felt Dillon is a good actor, maybe even an underrated one at that. But to read on the cover of City Of Ghosts that he not only has the lead role in this film, but that he's also co-written and directed it, kind of made me weary.But it turns out that this film really exceeds my expectations! It is acted and directed very well throughout. The tempo is kind of slow, but that is clearly intentional, and CRITICAL for the mood of the story. The story is subtle and, to me, original. And with well written (and well portrayed) characters. Though the somewhat cliché-like plot twist at the end could have easily spoiled the film for me; somehow it didn't. Much credit for the feel of the film goes to the sets and location, AND, surprisingly, the Cambodian actors, who all performed really authentic.I saw 'Crash' a few nights ago, and I was impressed by Dillon's performance. Having seen City Of Ghosts, my respect for Dillon has grown even more. I'm really looking forward to his future work in acting, directing and (co-)writing. Good stuff Matt, keep it up!!Greetings, Stephan Lodewijks from The Netherlands
Notable effort by Matt Dillon
posted on 02 Jun 2007What can I say, nobody's perfect. Mat Dillon's first attempt at directing a film is the City of Ghosts, a movie about Jimmy, a con man who's out to get his hefty share of an insurance scam in Cambodia, unaware of the dangers he is about to face.Dillon doesn't fail to capture the beauty and culture of Cambodia, the film making is masterful. But the film is hard to follow, and that's not because the story is confusing, it's because Dillon is. City of Ghosts is like a giant puzzle that fell off the table and the pieces scattered everywhere. In fact, I even recall parts of the film that ended up having absolutely nothing to do with it later on.If you're apologetic and have are able to pay good enough attention to the film you can see what Dillon was attempting to piece together here. The end result could have been wonderful if more effort was put into the development of the story and characters. Instead I got chunks and pieces of what was needed.Altogether a great idea for a film, but the amateur couldn't quite finish the puzzle. Most people will have trouble respecting this film for what it is, or rather, what it could have been. 6/10
Liked it!
posted on 02 Mar 2007Dillon 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.
Moody clash of realities
posted on 11 Jan 2007I thought the film did a great job of portraying the weird mix of cultures that exists in SE Asia today. There are entrepreneurs and con men looking to profit in the anarchy of war-traumatized societies. There are the common folk just hoping to get by without more violence. And there are the Westerners who come to wrap themselves in the mysticism of the ancient culture which permeates daily life and will prevail after these characters have moved on.I bought my DVD in a market in Myanmar. I got the 2-hour version which I loved, partly because the editing keeps you on your toes (plot development scenes start and end abruptly without lengthy introduction). I would like to see the longer version which must have spurred the comments I've read about the long camera takes on the Cambodian countryside.Great writing and directing by Dillon. Co-writer Gifford showed his David Lynchian background with almost over-the-top casting of fringe characters. And the soundtrack is perfect in reflecting the melding of old and new cultures.
Excellent mood and atmosphere
posted on 15 Jul 2009What 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.