The Reel Review
Angelina Jolie directs this film based on the memoir by Loung Ung, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide which wiped out a quarter of Cambodia’s population in the late 1970s. Told through Loung’s perspective starting at age 5, the harrowing drama starts with her large family being forced to flee their home in Phnom Penh for the countryside, where, as refugees, they endure bloodshed, famine and death. The juxtaposition of Cambodia’s natural beauty and flashbacks of Loung’s family before the genocide, makes the war atrocities even more jarring and impactful. Despite a story that is oversimplified and meanders a bit in the second half, it’s an important and powerful movie and marks a significant improvement for Jolie compared to her prior directing efforts.
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