The Birth of a Nation

Nate Parker, center, as Nat Turner in 

"The Birth of a Nation."

By George M. Thomas

Taken merely as a biopic, THE BIRTH OF A NATION offers nothing new.

Taken purely as movie about slavery, it offers nothing we’ve not seen before. 

However, when you scratch the surface, THE BIRTH OF A NATION maps a sociological course to the present day.  Therein lays its appeal for some. 

Although the story of Nat Turner’s slave rebellion in Virginia is a formidable one worth telling, it probably could have been told better than presented by Nate Parker’s version.

Oscar Nominated Shorts (opens in Cleveland February 11th exclusively at the Cedar Lee Theater)

[OSCAR NOMINATED LIVE ACTION SHORTS and OSCAR NOMINATED ANIMATED SHORTS open in Cleveland on Friday February 11th exclusively at the Cedar Lee Theater.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

Every year the Academy Awards gives out a statue for “Short Film (Live Action)” and “Short Film (Animated)”. These are films most of us don't get the chance to see, since the days when movie theaters actually showed short films along with the features are long gone. But for the last few years, select theaters have been showing the nominated shorts in special programs, one each for Live Action and Animated. In Cleveland, the shorts will be screening at the Cedar Lee Theater starting Friday, February 11^th.

OSCAR NOMINATED LIVE ACTION SHORTS

In Tanel Toom's The Confession, two young boys are preparing for their first experience with the titular ritual. They laugh and make light of it, but one of them is worried he won't have anything to confess, and therefore won't be a real Catholic. Then things take a dark turn into near horror territory. It feels almost like a Jack Ketchum (The Girl Next Door, The Lost) novel. It's effectively disturbing, with great performances by the two young leads.