City of Ghosts

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City of Ghosts

R

2002

1h 56m

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

48%

Tomatometer

65 Reviews

46%

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2,500+ Ratings

Waiting for the heat to cool from a failed U.S. insurance scam, Jimmy (Matt Dillon) grows restless in Bangkok. When he hears rumors that his partner and mentor Marvin has surfaced in Cambodia, he sets off to get 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. The further Jimmy gets in his search for Marvin, the deeper he plunges himself into a predicament from which he may not return.

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Critics Consensus

Atmospheric, but that's about it.

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Michael Booth

Denver Post

There is so much to admire in Matt Dillon's City of Ghosts that the feeling left over after watching it is an unsettling sense of disappointment and unfairness.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 28, 2003

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Gary Dowell

Dallas Morning News

While it won't be remembered as great cinema, it is actually a tight piece of film noir.

Rated: B

Jun 14, 2003

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Terry Lawson

Detroit Free Press

While the film is not short on ideas or implications, none of them is fully developed, leaving us little but atmosphere and warm whiskey to drink in.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 5, 2003

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Film Threat

Rated: 3/5

Dec 6, 2005

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Dragan Antulov

Draxblog Movie Reviews

can be criticised of many things, but wasting locations and local talent is not one of them

Rated: 6/10

Sep 16, 2005

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Jordan Hiller

Bangitout.com

The surprise is not necessarily that Dillon has a unique voice, but rather that the voice is so bizarrely dark and uninhibitedly exotic.

Rated: 3

Dec 27, 2004

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jwcdood

CITY OF GHOSTS is nothing monumental, but it's a decent thriller/suspense type flick that I even might watch again sometime [so that says something]. ✨🥴👍✨

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/16/23

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Mary H

The moral of the story is that contrary to Marvin's belief, people can in fact change from immoral to moral behavior; the right people can inspire someone to trust in the goodness of others and possibility of goodness in the self. The acting is great, the setting and scenery are beautiful, and the story is unique and interesting. Definitely recommend this movie! 10/10!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/13/22

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Audience Member

This movie set in Cambodia and Thailand was had a a great message of redemption of sorts. The good that was portrayed in this film between at least two of the random interaction of characters appears to be the entire point of the film. Righting a wrong. I gave four stars because it was not long enough to develop all the main characters. This is a redemptive story.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

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Audience Member

Why anyone would go to Cambodia to invest is beyond me. Like many Asian countries, it's full of corruption, meaning you'll be paying a lot of money for protection and just to get a business established. If you're running from the law, mafia, Russians, it's the last country you'd go to. If you've got money you're an easy target for corruption, westerners the main target. That being said, the film is a basic crime drama, nothing outstanding. Relationships are all very much placeholders to move the story along, nothing of depth established. Overall, good movie but nothing exceptional

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Audience Member

Dillon and Caan's acting is decent. The star of the film is Cambodia, especially Bokor Hill Station (R=Point). Not bad direction from Dillon, but he never directed another movie. Too long. "A long, winding, but decently layered modern film noir." - Kathy Cano Murillo, Arizona Republic "Can be criticized of many things, but wasting locations and local talent is not one of them." - Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

Matt Dillon and James Caan where phenomenal. Too bad the average movie goer isn't into this genre or style of movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

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Matt Dillon

Director

Matt Dillon

Jimmy

James Caan

Marvin

Natascha McElhone

Sophie

Gérard Depardieu

Emile

Sereyvuth Kem

Sok

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3%

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Synopsis

Waiting for the heat to cool from a failed U.S. insurance scam, Jimmy (Matt Dillon) grows restless in Bangkok. When he hears rumors that his partner and mentor Marvin has surfaced in Cambodia, he sets off to get 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. The further Jimmy gets in his search for Marvin, the deeper he plunges himself into a predicament from which he may not return.

Director: Matt Dillon
Producer: Willi Bär, Michael Cerenzie, Deepak Nayar
Screenwriter: Matt Dillon, Barry Gifford
Distributor: United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Sud-Est Productions, Kintop Pictures, United Artists, Living Films, Mainline Pictures Inc., Banyan Tree, Eternity Pictures
Rating: R (Some Violence|Language)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 10, 2002, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $325.5K
Runtime: 1h 56m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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