This movie, First They Killed My Father, has been a newsy project. Shot entirely in Cambodia and in the native tongue, Angie ruffled some feathers by appearing to cooperate with a controversial government and in describing the audition process for the young female lead. She later disputed the Vanity Fair account, and Vanity Fair awesomely stood by its reporter by checking and I THINK even releasing the transcripts to prove Angie was full of shit.
Anyway, I’m very curious to see how this film is received (THR was tepid but supportive; Variety similarly noted that it won’t compare favorably to The Killing Fields but is innovative in that nary a white face appears beyond the early frames). I applaud her for at least always tackling challenging subject matter, at least. Although, can you imagine Angie being attached to direct a wacky rom-com, whose poster is of a girl with messy hair and smudged lipstick and one shoe in her hand? “Angelina will next write and direct the story of a woman who accidentally sets a tarot deck on fire and wakes up the next day and lives her entire romantic life in reverse. Starring Alison Brie and Ike Barinholtz.” Nope. It doesn’t work. Although if Ike wants to buy that movie concept, I’m here for him.
[Photo: WENN]
