Swimming to Cambodia (1987)

• Year: 1987
• Released: 01 Apr 1987
• Country: United States
• Adwords: 5 nominations
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094089/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/swimming_to_cambodia
• Metacritics:
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Comedy, Drama
• Runtime: 85 min
• Writer: Spalding Gray
• Director: Jonathan Demme
• Cast: Spalding Gray, Sam Waterston, Ira Wheeler
• Keywords: concert, one-man show, monologue, desk, storytelling, travelogue,

	7.6/10
	68/100
	100% – Critics
	91% – Audience

Swimming to Cambodia Storyline

Spalding Gray sits behind a desk throughout the entire film and recounts his exploits and chance encounters while playing a minor role in the film ‘The Killing Fields’. At the same time, he gives a background to the events occurring in Cambodia at the time the film was set.—Peter Goldsack

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Swimming to Cambodia Movie Reviews

Good, but not as good as I expected

One day a couple of years ago, while I was waiting for a television show, I was flipping through the channels and I caught part of Spalding Gray’s monologue film -Monster in a Box- and I was so blown away by it that I missed the show that I had been waiting for. I don’t know why it took me so long to rent another one of his monologue films, but this week I picked up his first one, -Swimming to Cambodia-. It was good, but nowhere near as good as -Monster in a Box-.

For one thing, -Monster in a Box- was very well directed, and the “special effects” do not get in the way. But in -Swimming to Cambodia-, the sound effects are often too loud, and thecutting is too quick and artsy, when it should have been nothing but slow pans and zooms, sort of like -My Dinner With Andre-. Then there is this awful effect with the lights, basically shutting them off to cut the emotional rhythm. This was unneeded. Gray’s performance itself establishes rhythm enough.

My second big complaint is with the monologue itself. It is mostly very interesting, but it is not polished or cohesive. Just as he does in -Monster in a Box-, Gray alternates between very hilarious narrative (such as the descriptions of the sex acts in Thailand) and very harrowing narrative (such as the descriptions of Pol Pot’s revolution). That technique works extraordinarily in -Monster in a Box-, but the two halves of the narratives don’t seem to do with each other at all. The funny half concerns the work on the movie -The Killing Fields-, and the harrowing half very intensely examines the true story of the Kamir Rouge and America’s dealing with these kinds of situations. Also, the monologue seems to end almost arbitrarily.

This film is definitely worth a rental. It is under 90 minutes, which I always count as a plus. But if you want to be impressed, rent -Monster in a Box-. 7/10

Monologue about filming ‘The Killing Fields’ reveals genius shock!

Spalding’s ‘Swimming to Cambodia’ defies the preconceptions often brought to a movie: we get to see one man at a desk, with a lamp and a glass of water, and a map of Cambodia with a pointer to help. And then Gray’s amazing ability to hook the listener into his amazing free improvised anecdotes makes it worth a thousand blockbusters. Demme’s film prior to this was ‘Something Wild’… this is wilder and wittier. Do yourself a favour and watch. Spalding’s tragic suicide last year brings a poignant edge to many of his existential observations, but this is uplifting, entertaining, funny and harrowing all in one. And it’s a monologue. Sam Shephard once said it was impossible to compare anyone to Spalding, so unique was he. Here’s the proof.

WORTH HUNTING DOWN

Spalding Gray is an amazing orator. They way he can interweave various story aspects into a narrative patchwork is riveting. As you can tell I’m a big fan of his work and this is probably his best. Directed by Jonathan Demme in a no frills to the bone style. The star of this concert isn’t demme or gray, it’s the elocution.