Cambodia's first action road-trip comedy “Gems on the Run” is Sok Visal's directorial debut, co-directed with Quentin Clausin. The movie premiered at the Cambodia International Film Festival and was shown in numerous festivals around Southeast Asia.
At the end of the 90s, Rith, Dara, and Sovan promise each other they will stay friends forever. Fifteen years on, they have drifted apart and are leading completely different lives. Rith (Cheki Athiporn) spinelessly follows his father's wishes both by becoming a policeman and almost marrying the annoying and bossy Pretty (Noun Lihoung), all while hoping of becoming a pop singer. Sovan (Vandy Piseth) has become a member of one of the biggest crime syndicates in Cambodia and is living ruthlessly while dreaming of emigrating to America. And Dara has died. In a word, there is no prospect for the three to ever meet again.
However, after a botched robbery in which Sovan ends up with diamonds worth 3 million dollars and his face all over the news, he stumbles upon his old buddy Rith. Joined by Leya (Som Maleak) and chased by the ruthless gang boss Lychey and his henchman, the three embark on a dangerous journey to Koh Kong to sell the diamonds and find their lost friendship.
As far as road trip/chase movies go, “Gems on the Run” has it all with the better of them. Sok Visal and Quentin Clausin do a great job at directing while sticking to the conventions of the genre. The flick is fun, formulaic, and light-hearted, with exciting chase scenes, funny quips, and quirky, yet likable characters. There aren't any deeper meanings here or grand statements about Cambodian society or politics. Just a simple story about two friends reconnecting while undergoing numerous adventures as they go from point A to point B. And that's perfectly fine, especially considering how pleasant the film is.
Sadly, the same cannot be said about the script. Watching what transpires on screen, it feels like Visal and Clausin didn't fully flesh out the story with all of its points and subplots. Though a degree of suspension of disbelief is normal if not required for a quirky comedy such as this, there are just way too many coincidences, too many last-second deus ex machina contrivances here. Even if interesting the first few times, it gets pretty old pretty quickly, hindering the enjoyment of watching the flick.
The somewhat unfinished nature of the script shows in the characters, too. And we don't speak about the one-dimensional caricatures that most actors play, most notably Noun Lihoung. No, it's the lack of any development of the characters and logic in their purpose. Still, the actors do a good job with what they have, especially Cheki Athiporn. Rith being the most fleshed-out character, the actor has a bit more to work with and as a result, simply shines. He is funny, flamboyant, and pretty eccentric with his Elton John-like outfits and baby-like demeanor. It's very funny while never being demeaning. This is particularly difficult, considering that Rith works both as the protagonist and comic relief. It is a difficult job but Cheki Athiporn does it well.
The pleasantly predictable story and funny acting are aided by competent cinematography and editing. While not looking impeccable, there are some problems with color correction and texture from the different lenses, problems, though, that come from lack of budget rather than talent. However, the same cannot be said about the simply atrocious music and sound editing of the film. Many a scene introduce a melody at a seemingly random point to abruptly cut it at the end of the scene. While many other films use the same method (Takeshi Kobayashi's “Bandage” comes to mind), here it is jarring and cheap. And even worse, amateur.
Despite its minor flaws, “Gems on the Run” is a very pleasant ride that requires almost nothing from the viewer and just lets him sit back and enjoy a hundred minutes of refreshing fun.
