Up until about 10 years ago, being a white man in Southeast Asia meant you did pretty much what you pleased and damn the consequences, at least in the realm of fictional cinema. (See Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Beach.") Often, the characters are thrown into prison on drug trafficking charges and narrowly escape capital punishment, with even a few female protagonists sharing such honors, including Bridget Jones in "The Edge of Reason."
"River," directed by Canadian Jamie M. Dagg, offers a wholly different sort of ride. The white men depicted here get neither perks nor privileges — quite the opposite.
Canadian film is having its moment, due in large part to the presence of Xavier Dolan ("I Killed my Mother," "Laurence Anyways"). Now other young indie filmmakers like Dagg are coming out with well-crafted low-budget gems, and "River" is a compelling example.