SNIFF notes 6: Phnom Penh nights

Marlin Darrah’s “Monsoon Wife,” the final film of SNIFF 2003, is an amazing achievement for a production made by a first-time feature filmmaker, with a $95,000 budget and in a country not accustomed to supporting film crews.

It’s not perfect, what with certain plot points (the doomed friend, the threatened daughter, the dramatic showdown) lacking originality. But the male lead, McGeorge Robinson is a decent actor (and gorgeous besides). And the Southeast Asian countryside is beautiful.

In addition, the theme, that of young girls being forced into prostitution, is compelling, so much so that it would have been easy for Darrah to overpreach. But he holds back and lets the story speak for itself.