The
film City of Ghosts, cowritten
and directed by Matt Dillon, appears to be a remake of The
Third Man (1949), with a
man arriving in a strange city to pursue something lucrative
with someone notorious, but Dillon's story is far more
gruesome. In the early part of the film, a hurricane has
devastated many homeowners in Florida, who had taken out
hazard insurance policies. However, the insurance company
has no money, so fraud has been committed. FBI investigators,
on the trail of the company's CEO Marvin (played by James
Caan), interview Jimmy Cremming (played by Matt Dillon),
an employee who plays dumb and then flies to Cambodia,
where Marvin now resides. Jimmy is actually Marvin's son,
so he is not only after his payoff but also, if need be,
to help his father. Upon arrival, Jimmy encounters a country
that is filled with crooks, misanthropes, thieves, and
only one good guy -- Sok (played by Kem Sereyvuth). The
latter is his cyclo driver, depositing him at his hotel,
taking
him to a dangerous rendezvous, accompanying him on various
excursions, and twice saving his life. The females, in
comparison, are saints, notably archaeologist Sophie (played
by Natascha McElhone), who for some reason gets affectionate
with Jimmy despite his association with those who are trying
to make money in a lawless country, many by double-dealing.
Marvin wants to set up a casino, a moneymaking venture
that requires the kind of starting capital that he made
from his insurance scam. However, the authorities have
to be paid off, and the Russian mafia must be dissuaded
from muscling into the project. Several die in the film,
with no police in sight to try to solve the crimes; after
all, they are implicated. At least Jimmy, Sok, and Sophie
survive. In the background of the story is Cambodia itself.
Although Dillon fell in love with the country, glitzy footage
about the pristine countryside and the glory of the temples,
as in Tomb Raider (2001), is not to be found in City
of Ghosts. Quite the contrary (though the filmscore has some
enjoyable Cambodian music). Instead, the cinematographic
settings recall the surreal portrait of Vietnam
in Cyclo (1995) and thus serve as an exposé of wretched poverty,
desperate faces, the run-down condition of the capital
city, dilapidated monuments, landmines in rural areas,
and the apparent presence of ghosts of hose who were killed
in wartime, yet another example of a devastated country
that is not rebuilding itself adequately now that international
headlines focus elsewhere. MH
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want to comment on this film
