DVD Review: City of Ghosts (C+)

City of Ghosts (2002)
Directed by Matt Dillon
Starring Matt Dillon, James Caan, Gérard Depardieu, Stellan Skarsgård
MPAA: R
Grade: C+

Review by Scott Standish

An interesting gangster flick that is saved by the inimitable James Caan, City of Ghosts marks the feature film directorial debut of Matt Dillon. Full of interesting ideas that slowly disintegrate as the story meanders, this is never the less a decent movie, worthy of a rental on a rainy day.

Here's the set up: Matt Dillon plays a crook that needs to take it on the lamb. He decides to head to Cambodia where his mentor and sometime partner in crime is working on some new scores. Unfortunately, the deeper he digs into the underworld of Cambodia, the more trouble he finds himself in.

Gérard Depardieu plays a bartender/hotel keeper that knows too much about everyone and Stellan Skarsgard plays a weasel that can't be trusted. But stealing the show is the incredible James Caan who plays Dillon's crime boss, mentor and father figure. Caan is one of those grizzled old actors that can take over an entire scene now with just the raising of an eyebrow or a slight change of expression.

The problem with City of Ghosts is it's pace. It seems to lose steam as the story progresses and by act three, you might start looking at your watch. However, this remains a decent first time effort from one of our favorite actors, Matt Dillon.

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