That child, those children. Other reviewers talk of the beautiful cinematography of the movie, I agree. It was stunning at times. Some lament the lack of grit, or shock factor. I've been to The Killing Fields. I've seen the pits, listened to the propaganda recordings blared over loudspeakers. I've seen the skeletons still rising from the ground. I'm a well-traveled man, and seen my fair share of tragedy. Listening to the story of how children were executed by the KR was one of the most heart-rending moments of my life. In my opinion, Angelina Jolie has told as much truth as the average Western audience could bear. The scene where the father was executed was exactly as I was told by Cambodians. Jolie knows the truth, and has to be commended for pushing the envelope while not crossing the line where the movie would be rated for adult viewing. We Westerners will never see a screen depiction of the horrors of that genocide. Way too traumatic for our sensitivities. And all the way through the movie I wondered where the international community was when this was going on. It was left to the Vietnamese to save these children, these poor people. We in the West turned our backs. Just as we are turning our backs in Syria today. And that is the skill of Jolie, she has produced a movie talking to the politics of today. A word about the actress who played the part of Loung - excellent. The burning hut scene was painful to watch, the birth scene brought a joyous smile. These were but two moments of many where her wee face told us of the human condition. The final scene where the family are gathered, some could construe it as being mawkish. I saw it as a tribute to the parents ( also superbly acted ). I've said enough. I commend and recommend this movie.

With such a gut-wrenching subject matter of the Khmer Rouge regime and the memoir being such an emotionally complex read and going full throttle with the horror, 'First They Killed My Father' intrigued from the get go. Also wanted to see how actress Angelina Jolie fared as director, another reason for seeing the film. Saw 'First They Killed My Father' on Neflix a while ago but, as one can tell, it took me a while to get round to reviewing it, due to music commitments, my "to watch and review" list getting longer constantly and also that it took a while to gather my thoughts on the film. Can see both sides of the argument of both like and dislike. 'First They Killed My Father' is a very admirable film with a lot of strengths and some very powerful moments, but the memoir and the actual events are much more harrowing.'First They Killed My Father' is an incredibly well made film with some truly beautiful images, evocative production design and atmospheric scenery. Jolie directs more than competently, the visual style is spot on and she does a great job ensuring that the perspective doesn't get too biased or one-sided, like when Loung sees good in the enemy in the scene with the captured soldier. Telling the story through the eyes of a child was a brave choice and makes for a persuasive argument, this way prejudice and politics don't muddle or overshadow the story and the potential trap of being too innocent is thankfully strayed away from.There are moments of great poignancy and power, not just the above scene but also the older sister's murder, the scolding and especially the walk through the blood-stained forest (the closest the film gets to capturing the full horror of what the regime was like). 'First They Killed My Father' is a thought-provoking film too and the message resonates and is still an important one. Loung is a person one identifies with and roots for every step of the way, and Sareum Srey Moch's extraordinary and very touching performance is an enormous part of why.On the other hand, while the restrained approach is laudable and somewhat appreciated rather than going the excessively graphic and potentially gratuitous route, 'First They Killed My Father' doesn't quite go full force dramatically and could have taken more risks. Not be as intrepid in showing the regime's full horrors, which were bloody so the graphic nature actually would have been a valid and necessary approach. Can understand what the film was trying to do, but some genuinely powerful. harrowing and poignant scenes (especially the empathising of the captured soldier, the death of the sister, the scolding and the blood-stained forest) are not quite enough in a film that tends to treat the subject in a way that's too careful, muted and tame. A tighter pace, less of the idyllic lingering shots and images (beautiful they are and some make an emotional impact, but not escaping the traps of self-indulgence, being distracting and not having much to them other than looking good) and more dialogue (which may have given the film more flow and cohesion) would have probably solved this.In conclusion, good admirable film but could have been more. 7/10 Bethany Cox

'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.

The film is honest to the audiences. Angelina has been putting herself inside the most complex political issue of a poor country which lead to kill 2 million people from 1975 to 1979.Follow a young girls who suffered, but survived from the regime. The capacity of empathy is the capacity to put the audience into the situation of the young girl and let them experience her doubt, her pain, her loneliness and her lost.