A Birth of a Nation

First Hit:  A great story that was overproduced, excessively long, and poorly directed.

This is a great story but as often happens, when someone writes, directs, and acts in their own film; their perspective and the film's pacing results in a muddled story. The long languished scenes were meant to develop his and other characters but only left me marginally engaged in this wonderful story of how one slave helped to birth a nation.

Nate Parker plays Nat Turner a slave to Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer) in the South when the freedom tide began to turn and cotton growing was waning partially due to a drought. As far as plantation and slave owners goes, Turner was relatively kind and wasn’t constantly sadistic towards his slaves as we witness in this film. His sister Elizabeth (Penelope Ann Miller) saw Nat’s native intelligence and taught him to read, but only the Bible because “…these other books are for white folk.”

By learning to read from the Bible, Nat becomes a natural preacher and begins to hold religious services for other slaves. His ability to read and evoke passion was respected by both the white and black communities.

To give the audience a sense of the injustice, there are scenes with slave hunters led by Raymond Cobb (Jackie Earle Haley) who roamed the land raping, hurting, or killing slaves caught without a written pass from their owner. As this story develops, the more injustice Nat sees. And with the rape and beating of his own wife Cherry (Aja Naomi King) by Cobb, Nat gathers a few slaves to begin a revolt.

Many of the scenes are graphic and difficult to watch. During one scene in particular when a plantation owner uses a chisel to knock out the teeth of a slave because he won’t eat, I just about walked out. I understand the reason to make scenes like this, however it could have been done with less visual and maintained the important message. Although, I’m very distressed about the racism that remains in our country today, I’m not sure the film did itself service by showing graphic scenes of torture to make a point.

The parts of the film where the audience waits for something to develop which were followed by an action, were difficult to sit through. I don’t like the feeling of waiting in a film. Some of the highlights of the film were the wonderful support and love shared by his mother Nancy (Aunjanue Ellis) and grandmother Bridget (Esther Scott). One amazing scene was the calm clear tranquility Bridget showed as she sewed stitches in Nat’s back from a recent whipping.

Parker was very strong as Nat, however his meandering direction of the screenplay he wrote didn’t do this story justice. Hammer was OK as the bachelor plantation owner. Miller was good in her minor role of Hammer’s sister and someone who seemed to care about the slaves. Haley was very good in a role that just reeked of being despicable. Ellis was very good as Nat’s mother and woman who had to hold the family together when her husband was forced to flee the plantation. Scott was sublime and in her minor role and delivered a very strong and amazing performance.

Overall:  I was disappointed in this film because the real story is excellent.

Beyond the Lights

First Hit:  I was surprised at how much I liked it.

I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this film after reading a brief story about the movie.

However Mini Driver, as Macy Jean, the mother of the biracial Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), was effective as a goal obsessed mother who had to fend for their livelihood. She did this through her daughter's singing talent.

Noni is the dedicated daughter who, under the managing guidance of Macy Jean, has become a worldwide singing sensation. However, she is struggling because she isn’t singing her songs, she’s not in control of her life, and her life doesn’t feel like her own. In desperation she gets drunk, hangs from a balcony and gets saved from a suicide attempt by police officer Kaz Nicol (Nate Parker).

Kaz is also having his career guided by his single parent, Police Captain Nicol (Danny Glover). Captain Nicol wants his son to become a successful politician and therefore has been guiding Kaz's career moves. What was enjoyable was the way the story came together.

Driver was really good as the headstrong mom who both success for her daughter but also success for herself. Along the way, she lost sight of her daughters inner life. Mbatha-Raw was strong as the singer who wants to find her own way. She made a compelling story on the screen. Parker is very good as the officer that wants love but will not live in a way that lacks integrity. Glover is perfect as the dad who wants his son to be great. Gina Prince-Bythewood wrote and directed this film. The story-line was well thought out with some great scenes in the boardroom with Marcy Jean speaking her mind. The direction was good with the scenes in Mexico deftly giving the audience a sense of peace coming over the characters.

Overall:  An enjoyable film that kept its perspective all the way through.

Arbitrage

First Hit:  Although not much about how the finance business works, the character study, at times, was pretty good.

While we are still coming out of a huge financial meltdown and with Europe continuing to have financial troubles, I would have liked to see more about how the financial system works, doesn't work or gets manipulated.

There have been some films, like Margin Call, which have done this recently. What this film does, is give you a look at how a man named Robert Miller (Richard Gere) deals with a mistake he makes with an investment judgment.

At first there is a sense that the film’s main character Miller is like Gordon Gekko, arrogant and the only important thing is MONEY. But then Miller's character shifts a bit and seems more like Bernard Madoff with his family tied into the family business but not knowing how he kept a separate set of books.

The film takes place over a week and if he can’t find anyone to buy his company by Friday it all blows up. Miller’s wife Ellen (played by Susan Sarandon) seems to know all of what is going on, but stoically carries on with her charities.

Brooke (played by Brit Marling), Miller’s daughter figures out the problem, that her father is cooking the books, and is shocked and dismayed. Their dialogue was some of the best in the film. I also enjoyed the dialogue between Miller and the potential company buyer James Mayfield (played by Graydon Carter). Although their conversation was, at most, 5 minutes, it was riveting.

The side story about Jimmy Grant (played by Nate Parker) helping Miller out of a jam when he gets into a car accident, which kills his lover, and leaves the scene (think Kennedy and Chappaquiddick) carries much of the film. This is unfortunate because what could have been a great financial thriller ends up being a poor film about bad character.

Gere’s beady small eyes are great for his sneaky ways as a financier. Outside of this he does a pretty good job of emoting his calm, in charge, exterior while his total world falls apart. Tim Roth as Detective Michael Bryer is too laid back, lazy, and filled with spite to be good. Sarandon was next to horrible and un-emotive as Miller’s wife. She didn’t portray her character in a way that would make her remotely desirable by Gere. Laetitia Casta, as Gere’s girlfriend Julie was neither interesting, attractive or worth watching. Marling was a joy to watch in her role as a daughter whose trust of her father falls away with her own discovery. Carter in his brief part was very effective. Parker as the young man who assists Miller was very good. Nicholas Jarecki wrote and directed this poorly constructed film. Instead of it being called Arbitrage it needed to be call “dilemmas”.

Overall: I think the full-theater audience I was sitting with was interested in a financial thriller but ended up seeing a standard film about a man in a dilemma.

The Great Debaters

First Hit: Despite a lousy title this is a very strong, wonderful and powerful film.

This film, based on a true story and is very well acted and directed by Denzel Washington.

Supporting Denzel (as Melvin Tolson) in this film are powerful performances by Forest Whitaker (as Dr. James Farmer Sr.), Nate Parker (as Henry Lowe) Jurnee Smollett (as Samantha Brooke), and Denzel Whitaker (as James Farmer Jr.).

This 1935 drama is based on the true story of Mr. Tolson, a professor at a small Texas college called Wiley, and how he inspired this all black debating team to beat Harvard University the best white debating team in the country.

Complicating the team’s difficulties, Melvin was also involved in developing a small farmer's cooperative which caused problems for both him and the team.

The strong acting was supported by even handed direction in moving this inspirational story forward on the merits of the debaters learning how to accept, support and trust each other.

Reflective of the time period and geography, audiences are shown scenes of the divisive prejudices, cruelty, and violence that still existed and permeated much of the Southern United States. The act of defeating Harvard University was a strong statement on the idiocy of baseless prejudices.

Overall: One of the best films I’ve seen all year because I was deeply touched.