First They Killed My Father is a title I've thought about since its Oscar nomination in 2018. It's a bold name, and it tells a side of the Vietnam War that we don't often hear about - the horrific and tragic attacks on the Cambodian people by the US. When I found that it fit one of the parameters I was trying to fill for my ***
2026*** list, I was looking forward to finally watching it.
This is one of the biggest movie let downs for me in a
long time. I had no clue that Angelina Jolie directed this, which is bizarre first and foremost, but it's clear that she hasn't directed many movies. It consists mostly of events that are disjointed, redundant, and extremely unengaging. Nearly every shot consists of Sareum Srey Moch (who is fantastic in this, by the way) being two feet away from the camera. She's adorable and in an awful situation, so I couldn't help but feel sorry for her, but there's a lot more of a story to be told than what's given, and it's painfully obvious. Since we're seeing things from a child's point of view, we're very limited in scope and understanding of the conflict. There's a cycle of reaching a camp, working, starving, and some small conflict happening over and over again until the credits roll. On top of that, I've seen the same thing done before with much more cohesion in the plot and competence behind the camera. There's the argument to be made that it's realistic to the events, and that may be so, but maybe that means it doesn't make for the best movie if you're telling the story beat for beat from someone's memory. Some narrative embellishments were in order, and they were intentionally left out for the worse.
It's a visual story, which should be prioritized and praised in film, but there's just not much of a plot to be had here, unfortunately.
I don't need action or explosions; I just need something for the film to work towards and a lot more momentum, which can come in many forms.
List: ***
2026 Goals***
Last Review: ***
Captain Marvel***
