A big insurance scam unravels, and the front man Jimmy (Matt Dillon) evades the ongoing FBI investigation by fleeing to Cambodia. His main order of business is to connect with his mentor, Marvin (James Caan). A lovely tourist named Sophie (Natascha McElhone) catches Jimmy's eye, but he'll have his hands full dealing with the local hoods, who are a scarier bunch than Jimmy is used to.
Dillon co-wrote this screenplay (with Barry Gifford) and made his directorial debut here, and neither of them really flesh out the characters all that much. The plot is also fairly convoluted. But Dillon relates all of it in a capable-enough manner, and is best at capturing the seedy ambiance of the locations. As one may expect from this kind of story, double-crosses and untrustworthy characters will abound, with Jimmy as the least morally bankrupt out of the bunch.
The luminous McElhone gives the proceedings a shot in the arm, and the international casting is striking, with Stellan Skarsgard and Gerard Depardieu also inhabiting pivotal roles. Depardieu is amusing as a lively, foul-mouthed bar owner, although some people may feel that this part is beneath him. The true MVP of the cast is Asian actor Kem Sereyvuth, as an amiable local named Sok who turns out to be *extremely* helpful. An uncredited Bo Hopkins contributes a very brief but welcome cameo.
Most respectable about this filmmaking debut for Dillon is the fact that he set it and filmed it in Cambodia. As a result, the film has a solid and unique atmosphere that helps to raise it above an average level. (Regarding some of the spots you see here, the old saying "Nice place to visit, but you wouldn't wanna live there" comes to mind.)
Overall, a good but not great effort.
Seven out of 10.
Dillon co-wrote this screenplay (with Barry Gifford) and made his directorial debut here, and neither of them really flesh out the characters all that much. The plot is also fairly convoluted. But Dillon relates all of it in a capable-enough manner, and is best at capturing the seedy ambiance of the locations. As one may expect from this kind of story, double-crosses and untrustworthy characters will abound, with Jimmy as the least morally bankrupt out of the bunch.
The luminous McElhone gives the proceedings a shot in the arm, and the international casting is striking, with Stellan Skarsgard and Gerard Depardieu also inhabiting pivotal roles. Depardieu is amusing as a lively, foul-mouthed bar owner, although some people may feel that this part is beneath him. The true MVP of the cast is Asian actor Kem Sereyvuth, as an amiable local named Sok who turns out to be *extremely* helpful. An uncredited Bo Hopkins contributes a very brief but welcome cameo.
Most respectable about this filmmaking debut for Dillon is the fact that he set it and filmed it in Cambodia. As a result, the film has a solid and unique atmosphere that helps to raise it above an average level. (Regarding some of the spots you see here, the old saying "Nice place to visit, but you wouldn't wanna live there" comes to mind.)
Overall, a good but not great effort.
Seven out of 10.