Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Asad Almond A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

sddavis63 This is a very powerful movie, based on a memoir by Loung Un, that depicts the trials of one family in Cambodia. Opening in Phnom Penh, the family is shown to be happy, prosperous and comfortable, living in a beautiful apartment with few worries. "Pa" is an officer in the pro-American government's military. But as the US commitment in neighbouring Vietnam collapses, the US withdraws from Cambodia, and Phnom Penh is overrun with guerrillas from the Khmer Rouge. People are expelled from the city, and the rest of the movie depicts the brutal treatment of the Khmer Rouge toward these refugees who required "re-education," whose personal possessions were taken away and who were forced to work in labour camps, supplying food to the soldiers whole they themselves faced virtual starvation, with many of the children being taught to become killing machines for the new regime. The movie is largely told through the eyes of Loung, and it's certainly eye-opening for viewers, as we're exposed to the inhumanity (on all sides) of warfare.Directed by Angelina Jolie (who I thought did a fabulous job) the film doesn't paint a simplistic portrait of "Khmer Rouge bad, Americans good." It was the US that decided to start a bombing campaign in neutral Cambodia, after all, turning much of the rural population against them and those who were looked on as their allies - mainly the city dwellers, and especially former government officials and soldiers. The decision to film the movie in Cambodian (rather than having the actors speak English with Cambodian accents or dubbing the dialogue into English) was a good one that gave even more of a feel of authenticity to this. The portrayal of Loung (by a Cambodian child actress named Sreymoch Sareum) was superb and powerful. Starting out as a fun-loving, somewhat mischievous little girl, the range of emotions shown as she deals with the nightmare she fell into was absolutely raw. I did find that the last half hour (as Loung finds herself first with the Vietnamese and then in a Red Cross camp) was a little bit confusing.It might help if a viewer has a little bit of knowledge about the history of Cambodia in this period and especially about the Khmer Rouge regime, but it's not vital. The story itself lets you know what you need to know and the heartache you feel for Loung (and her siblings, and really everyone who was caught up in this madness as their worlds were turned upside down) is very deep and very real. It's a powerful experience to watch this. (8/10)

wijajo-72563 I loved the cinematography and following the young girl makes for an interesting take on a genocide movie. Unfortunately, with that, comes a lack of depth as the girl doesn't always understand what's going on. For this reason, we do not see the full atrocities of Khmer Rouge or understand why they did things. So, I prefer the Killing Fields. Still, it was visually great and provided a fresh take on a genocide that many are still not fully aware of. The child acting was also top-notch, amazing since there were so many child actors!

Geanina Cantero The cinematography is captivating, I am impressed with the quality of the film in general. I've read other users reviews about the apparent "lack" of dialog, but since it is told from a child's perspective. It sort of gives the sense of innocence and naivety of young Loung. My perspective is that it allows me to have my own thoughts about the events, what this story is telling me and it is making me feel. At the end I come to realize that this is not just a film, this were true events and the Cambodian people did actually go though that. They are brave and strong people. If it weren't for this film I would not know about this portion of Cambodia's history.I am not an expert, nor I am a critic. I am just one of the audience and this is my interpretation of the film.

paul2001sw-1 The Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia attempted to end the class war in the most emphatic fashion, namely by ending the existence of the higher social classes. It evacuated the cities and attempted to construct a peasant nation, forcing so- called intellectuals into brutal work camps. In additionally intentionally killing anyone it identified as an enemy, it moreover brought famine upon those it did not intend to kill (though population reduction was arguably a goal in itself). Few if any other governments are responsible for the deaths of so many of their populations. The story was told famously in 'The Killing Fields', shot shortly after the overthrow of the regime, but Angelica Jolie has now made a new movie about this era, based on the testimony of a survivor. On one hand, 'First They Killed My Father' boldly eschews Hollywood-style narratives; on the other, it also eschews much in the way of explanation. A series of bad things happen to the daughter of a previously prosperous family, and that's all. Without the narrative, one feels this might have been better had it been shot as a documentary reconstruction. It would also have been interesting to learn more about what enabled the rise of the Khmer Rouge and what led Cambodia down such an awful path: the only answer we get is American bombing, but in Vietnam, for example, there was an orthodox communist regime that did not resort to pure genocide. As it is, the film is a worthwhile reminder of what awful things humans can do to each other; but not completely compelling as either story or history.