City of Ghosts (2002)

47% of critics liked it
(66 reviews)
45% of users liked it
(3,225 ratings)

Leading man Matt Dillon makes his directorial debut with the crime thriller City of Ghosts. Jimmy (Dillon) is a New York con man fleeing the U.S. for Bangkok in order to avoid an insurance scam investigation. He goes to Cambodia to meet up with his former business partner, Marvin (James Caan), to… More Leading man Matt Dillon makes his directorial debut with the crime thriller City of Ghosts. Jimmy (Dillon) is a New York con man fleeing the U.S. for Bangkok in order to avoid an insurance scam investigation. He goes to Cambodia to meet up with his former business partner, Marvin (James Caan), to collect his half of the money. Along the way, he makes friends with local man, Sok (Sereyvuth Kem), and romances Sophie (Natascha McElhone). Also starring Gérard Depardieu and Stellan Skarsgård. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 56 min.
Directed By: Matt Dillon
Written By: Barry Gifford, Matt Dillon
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Apr 25, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Oct 28, 2003
Studio: MGM Pictures

Critic Reviews

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.
Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News
While it won't be remembered as great cinema, it is actually a tight piece of film noir.
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.
Kathy Cano Murillo, Arizona Republic
A long, winding, but decently layered modern film noir.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
Trades more effectively in states of alienated atmospheric delirium than it does the specific mechanics of plot.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
A hyper-real portrait of life -- a vision as experienced during an adrenaline rush.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
can be criticised of many things, but wasting locations and local talent is not one of them
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.
Ryan Cracknell, Apollo Guide
A solid DVD package, but nothing spectacular.
Ryan Cracknell, Apollo Guide
Shows some promise in that it wants to say something, but there are plenty of forgettable moments to go along with it.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
There's nothing interesting about this half-baked noir plot...
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...it's the film's measured, unhurried trip through time and place that makes it so engrossing.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
The movie fairly oozes with atmosphere, and its cast contains enough colorful characters to make Casablanca blush.
Marcy Dermansky, About.com
Matt Dillon is a hero worried about his karma
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
Longtime actor, first-time director Matt Dillon relates an urgency and passion behind the camera, intent on telling us one story while showing us another.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
Dillon is so eager to show the duality of Cambodia, the grace and the grime, that he sacrifices major story elements to do so.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lady D

There were some good elements to this film ? yet it didn?t quite work for me. Enjoyed Matt Dillan (and of course he Directed this film also), loved the not so typical choice of using Cambodia as the backdrop to the story and really enjoyed the music too. Pretty natural performances… More
There were some good elements to this film ? yet it didn?t quite work for me. Enjoyed Matt Dillan (and of course he Directed this film also), loved the not so typical choice of using Cambodia as the backdrop to the story and really enjoyed the music too. Pretty natural performances all around. For me the downfall lay not in the actual plot, but in the actual story of corruption ? I felt it was weak, confusing and slow moving at times, it was more of a working progress.
Jeffrey M

Matt Dillion starred in and directed this atmospheric and interesting noir piece. It has many good moments, seemingly promising more than it ultimately delivers. The biggest drawback is it's meandering nature, never quite hitting the notes it wants to. A multitude to plots are… More
Matt Dillion starred in and directed this atmospheric and interesting noir piece. It has many good moments, seemingly promising more than it ultimately delivers. The biggest drawback is it's meandering nature, never quite hitting the notes it wants to. A multitude to plots are served up, but never satisfactorily seen through. Still, I really enjoyed the film's sense of place, captured through some great cinematography.