While George Clooney made heads turn at the Venice Film Festival with Suburbicon, Angelina Jolie ruled the Telluride Film Festival with First They Killed My Father. The Netflix original that is set to premiere on the online streaming platform this month, has already been deemed at Jolie's best film by attendees of the film fest.
Entertainment Weekly shared that the film received praises after it was showcased at the Colorado-based fest on Saturday, September 2. The hall not only rose to give the actress-director a standing ovation, Anne Thompson of IndieWire also shares that there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
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Based on the book with the same title written by Loung Ung, the Cambodian film revolves around the Cambodia genocide and the impact it had on a close-knit family.
Reviewing the movie, IndieWire's Eric Kohn told Twitter that she has delivered her best presentation yet. "Jolie's filmmaking constantly pushes forward with rapid-fire editing to suggest the passage of time, but nothing tells the story more than Sareum's face. The result is relentless and involving even when it stumbles," he writes.
Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter also shared similar views tweeting, "First They Killed My Father is Angelina Jolie's best directorial effort yet. Might well be a contender beyond the foreign language category."
These reactions are a big win for Jolie's directorial career given that her previous movies were not critically acclaimed. Except for her 2014 biopic Louis Zamperini biopic Unbroken, her other three movies were not well received.
Angelina Jolie's First They Killed My Father is powerful big scale Cambodian war drama from the POV of a girl. Not a dry eye in the house.
— Anne Thompson (@akstanwyck) September 2, 2017
First They Killed My Father is Jolie's best work. Brutal, grueling, and deeply personal. The film she was destined to make @AwardsCircuit
— Mark Johnson (@MarkLikesMovies) September 2, 2017
Standing ovation for Angelina's First They Killed My Father.
— Sasha Stone (@AwardsDaily) September 2, 2017
Big (and well earned) #Telluride standing ovation for Angelina Jolie and Loung Ung at 1st screening of FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER.
— Scott Foundas (@foundasonfilm) September 2, 2017
TweeView: FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER lyrical, poignant. Reminds me of Beasts of No Nation. Jolie has become a very fine filmmaker. #TFF44
— Christopher Schiller (@chrisschiller) September 2, 2017
Following the ovation she received by the audience at fest, Jolie took to the stage for a Q and A session where she revealed that the film making experience changed her life. "We're making this first and foremost for Cambodia," Jolie emphasized during the post premiere session.
Jolie explained her visit to Cambodia many years ago "changed my life." It was then that she picked up Ung's book and fell in love with it. After her life changing trip, Jolie returned to do humanitarian work, befriended Ung and adopted a Cambodian orphan, Maddox. The 16-year-old helped Jolie in the movie and was present at the screening with his other adopted siblings.
Jolie also revealed that she waited to make the film until Maddox was old enough so that he could be a part of it. "I wanted my son to know where he comes from," she added.
The impressive movie will be available for streaming starting September 15.
