First They Killed My Father (2017)

This movie was very well told, and director Angelina Jolie really stepped up as a director."First They Killed My Father" had a very good story, and it is the type of movie that really gets under your skin as this is based on real events. It is hard to fathom that something like this has happened for real, but the fact that it did just adds a whole different layer to the entire movie.The movie was held relatively free of explicit violence and gory scenes, but you still knew exactly what kind of horrible stuff what was going on.The scene with the fleeing Kmer people and the landmines was the most brutal scene of the entire movie, and it definitely left a lasting impression.The cast ensemble was good and people really performance quite well. Needless to say that I was not familiar with the people here. But that is usually a good thing, at least for me, because I do enjoy watching new faces and unfamiliar talents on the screen.Thumbs up for director Angelina Jolie on her accomplishment with "First They Killed My Father", because this is definitely a movie that is quite worth taking the time to sit down and watch.

Angelina Jolie has been consistently banal with her directing efforts, and this one is no different. At its best, it's skillfully edited, beautifully shot, solidly acted, and disarmingly authentic. At its worst, it's sluggish homework. There are certainly some bright spots (lead girl is incredible, battle scene is harrowing, message of forgiveness over vengeance). Still, if you wanna watch a more engaging version of a similar story, click over to another Netflix original Beasts of No Nation.

'FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER': Four Stars (Out of Five)A historical biopic, about a 7-year-old's account of the Khmer Rouge regime invading Cambodia, in the 70s, and how it affected her and her family. The film was directed by Angelina Jolie, and it's based on the memoir of Loung Ung. It was scripted by Jolie and Ung, and Jolie also served as a producer of the movie. It was also filmed all using Cambodian actors, and in the Khmer language of Cambodia. The film was released by Netflix through their streaming site, and it's gotten mostly positive reviews from critics. It's also been nominated for multiple prestigious awards as well (and won some), and it's been selected as the Cambodian entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Academy Awards. I found it to be a well made, and powerful movie. The story is set during the Vietnam war, when the US regularly bombed the neutral country of Cambodia. Many Cambodians began looking to the Khmer Rouge for help. After the US leaves, evacuating the embassy, the Khmer Rouge ruthlessly begins taking control of the area. 7-year-old Loung (Sreymoch Sareum), and her family, are then caught and forced to work in a horrific work camp. The movie is told all from the young girl's perspective. The film is beautifully shot, and acted, and it really leaves a very believable account of what it must have been like during that time and place. Jolie is definitely a talented filmmaker, and she does a good job of picking her subject matter well. The concept of showing a war from a 7-year-old's perspective is a great idea for a film as well. It's definitely a memorable movie, and I learned a lot about that time and place, in history, too.

Having lived in Cambodia for over 18 months, I was glad to see a movie bringing the many atrocities of the Khmer Rouge to light, for the simple fact that far too many people have no idea what happened in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, and those who do, don't understand the why behind it. This movie not only fails to inform about the truth, but also intentionally misinforms with straight up non-facts that fit today's alt-left anti-US sentiment. All this amounts to both a simply terrible movie, and an utterly shameful insult to the upwards of 3 million victims of the ultra-communist Khmer Rouge regime. I understand the source material is the memoir of a survivor who was a young girl at the time, but the presentation of said source material is over produced, needlessly artsy, and even the supposedly emotional scenes lose impact because the film does not add any context to the events that unfold. Which is very coincidental, as the Khmer Rouge targeted intellectuals for extermination, this very movie leaves out a lot of facts which would make the false narrative purveyed by the director crumble to pieces. Looks like the alt-left ultra-communist playbook hasn't changed much after 40 years. Do yourself a favor and show respect to the victims of this tragedy by skipping this movie and reading some of the very informative books out there. Even better if you could actually travel to Cambodia and visit Tuol Sleng (S21 prison) and Choeung Ek (the killing fields).