City Of Ghosts (DVD)

City of Ghosts is one of those films that makes you sigh and shake your head slightly as you press the stop button. You wanted to like the film and you wanted to be full of praise, but having persevered for the full running time, there just isn’t enough substance to merit a positive review.

In City of Ghosts, Matt Dillon plays Jimmy, a young insurance salesman who becomes embroiled in a scam to take lots of money off lots of ...
...sticky situation.

City of Ghosts marks Matt Dillon’s debut as both a director and a writer. Coupled with the fact that he also takes the lead in the film (how DOES an actor direct himself?), City of Ghosts quickly becomes something of a tall order. It is therefore no surprise that the film isn’t entirely successful, but this isn’t going to be a complete slating because this movie is not in itself completely unattractive.
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City of Ghosts is one of those films that makes you sigh and shake your head slightly as you press the stop button. You wanted to like the film and you wanted to be full of praise, but having persevered for the full running time, there just isn’t enough substance to merit a positive review.

In City of Ghosts, Matt Dillon plays Jimmy, a young insurance salesman who becomes embroiled in a scam to take lots of money off lots of people without giving lots of money back. When the scam is rumbled by the FBI, Jimmy’s partner in the scam (Marvin) flees to Cambodia and Jimmy soon follows to collect his share of the cash. When he gets out there, he initially has some difficulty finding Marvin but with the help of a local taxi driver and a bar manager, he eventually tracks the fugitive down. But he isn’t the only person who is looking for Marvin and Jimmy quickly finds himself double, triple-crossed and caught in the middle of a very sticky situation.

City of Ghosts marks Matt Dillon’s debut as both a director and a writer. Coupled with the fact that he also takes the lead in the film (how DOES an actor direct himself?), City of Ghosts quickly becomes something of a tall order. It is therefore no surprise that the film isn’t entirely successful, but this isn’t going to be a complete slating because this movie is not in itself completely unattractive.

One of the most interesting things about the film, and to be fair one of the things that may well hold your attention, is the beautiful location. Whilst the number of location settings is not exhaustive, there is a grainy, sweaty realism about them that really puts you in the middle of the action. The country is portrayed as being dangerous and primitive whilst at the same time mystical and enchanting. Indeed, the two sides of Cambodia are generally used to offset one part of the story with another. Jimmy’s romance with a beautiful young English woman tends to take place in mystical Cambodia, whilst Jimmy’s business dealings take place in dangerous Cambodia. The film has an authenticity about it that does make you believe that the proceedings have not been glamorised, as the action shifts between war-damaged, ancient monuments and derelict Cambodian mansions. There is something quite haunting about the whole thing and in spite of the apparent danger, there is also something very attractive about it too.

Another very engaging part of the film is that the cast comprises a very interesting set of characters. Jimmy is typically American, but his attitude is sharply contrasted against that of Sok, a poor taxi driver whom he quickly befriends. Jimmy isn’t the hero of the film. It is Sok that takes up that role and it is Jimmy who admits that he is a good man. But the relationship forged between the two men is sincere and very touching. With a touch of morality about the place, Sok even manages to teach Jimmy a few things about himself. The French bar manager Emile (Gerard Depardieu) is easily the strongest character in the entire film, providing some much needed humour and a little eccentricity just to remind us how mad Cambodia is. Natasha McElhone provides some beauty amongst the harshness of the place and takes up one of the few female roles in the film. The real exception to the quality of the cast is the placement of James Caan as Marvin because he really doesn’t seem to fit into things at all. With all the other characters, we really have a clear idea of who we should like and who we shouldn’t, but Marvin remains a mystery until the end – and thereafter.

But this praise cannot detract from one of the fundamental problems with this movie and that is that it is generally very dull. The story line is weak, is often poorly explained or confusing and there is a distinct lack of action. We receive no real explanation of what the insurance fraud entails, or how it came to be, nor do we really understand how willing a participant Jimmy was in the whole plan. His attempts to find Marvin are far too drawn out, suggesting things to be afoot that never really materialise and any plot twists that take place feel like an attempt to resuscitate a dying man, rather than injecting excitement into a living thing. There is a real lack of substance to the whole thing, and the cast seems to struggle with the limited material. City of Ghosts is not really a thriller, but the drama seems rather forced and the late introduction of some family interest is nothing short of contrived.

The other thing that really started to wear thin with me was the over-use of native Cambodian music. The shrill vocals and squealing arrangements often had me reaching for the volume button on the remote control and whilst it was all part of the country’s heritage, it was all a bit much.

All of which is a great shame, because with the right story, Dillon seems to have an eye to make good things and he clearly fell in love with Cambodia. If I were totally honest, it was really only the magnificence of Dillon’s lean, hairy body in a variety of vests and tight T-shirts that kept me watching right until the end. The shortness of the review is probably a good indication of the fact that there just isn’t enough to this film to really talk about.

But it’s still a shame.

Not recommended.
 

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