patrickarbuckle
In response to correct other reviews, in the train station you are likely to see many Thai Buddhist monks as the train is an economical way to travel. They are not Tibetan Monks as one review stated and he spends most the movie trying to get away from the Laos police, not Thai.
borellibooks
This was a well acted but not a well written film. The piece was beautifully filmed. Nothing in the situation is plausible. The Doctor's involvement with strangers in a foreign country is very unrealistic. His intrusive behavior that gets him into a huge amount of trouble is too convenient. His flight from authority could never happen. The unrealistic way he finally got out of trouble and the very poor ending leaves you wanting more. A huge loose end because his actions will get him back into trouble in a huge way.This film had promise but ultimately poor writing and story could not overcome the good acting, beautiful cinematography and exotic locations. I wonder how such films attract financing, production and distribution.
in1984
2.3 of 10. Nothing like a river in its style. Though the title and the story do eventually connect, that's about the only connection you feel from this. The thrills/suspense all feel artificial, forced without anything to be of a concern. The running looks more like jogging.Maybe the lead actor's connection to a Hollywood star is what gets this some free publicity, but it's not the story or his acting. This would be better setup as a tragic comedy about a naive American in a foreign country, but nobody involved seems to recognize it and you end up with a film taking its actors far too seriously.I wouldn't recommend this on any level. It tries to provide some meaningful commentary on international problems, but even that feels concocted within this film.
Larry Silverstein
Set mostly in Laos, this movie maintains a decent amount of tension and suspense, but some of its plot elements really defy logic. Don't expect any character development here, as the film is nearly exclusively an "on the lam" type flick.Rossif Sutherland (son of Donald) stars as Dr. John Lake, who's working at a NGO clinic in Vientiane, Laos. After disobeying the orders of the chief physician (Sara Botsford) in the operating room (containing some very graphic and bloody scenes), he's asked to take some time off to clear his mind.Traveling to southern Laos, John ends up in a physical altercation with an Australian man, (the son of an Australian Senator), whereby the Australian man is killed. While being questioned by the Laotian police, John panics and flees,and the remainder of the movie will focus on his attempts to escape capture, all leading to an ending that, in my opinion, really stretched credibility.All in all, this movie, written and directed by first time Canadian filmmaker Jamie M. Dagg, maintained enough suspense to keep me interested to the end, as I wondered how it would all turn out. However, as mentioned there is no character development and some of the plot machinations were just too nonsensical for me to swallow.
AD
