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The Birth of a Nation (2016)
The Birth of a Nation (2016)
2016 | Drama
9
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
America was not born with the landing of the Mayflower. It was not born at Jamestown. It was not born with the Declaration of Independence or Treaty of Paris. It wasn’t born on the battlefields of the Civil War, nor was it born with D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation in 1915. America was born in the fire and spilt blood from the institution of slavery and revolts by slaves seeking to break free. Nat Turner’s revolt was an omen to America signifying that human beings would no longer tolerate being subjugated, dehumanized, brutalized, and degraded without some form of pushback.

Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation tells a full story of Nat Turner and does not simply rely on the revolt to convey his message of a call for equality and fighting injustice. It is emblematic of resistance to the many sins this nation has committed. The film and story are a punch to the gut reminding Americans that there is much left unfinished with respect to telling the full story of slavery and American history as a whole. There is much of our past that we must reconcile with no matter how uncomfortable. Parker’s film demonstrates the power film has as historical record and permitting audiences to have a greater idea and picture of the past.

The Birth of A Nation allows audiences to become consumed with the horrors of slavery, but it is not limited to that aspect. It humanizes the slaves and demonstrates cultural aspects and relationships that have often gone ignored or overlooked with previous films. It does not rely on sensationalizing events in order to drive the points home. There is subtlety and honesty in the portrayal of the events and circumstances.

This is a film that will have audiences speechless at the end as the come to terms with their emotions about events as they unfold and coming to terms with what the witnessed onscreen. There is nothing that can prepare audiences for this film. It is a work of art that you cannot help but feel compelled to reflect on what you witnessed.

There are those who will not see the film due to the subject matter. There are others who won’t see it because of the sexual assault allegations against Nate Parker. There are many who won’t see it out of a pure lack of interest. Regardless of your stance, this is a film that needs to be seen. It is essential to telling a more complete story about America.
  
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Dog Days (2018)
Dog Days (2018)
2018 | Drama
Cheesy but Solid
Dog Days revolves around a number of moving parts stories that shows the strength of relationships between people and man’s best friend.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 5
Typically with stories like these that have a number of different characters sharing screen time, it really can be a challenge to get the film off to a hot start as you introduce everyone. Ten minutes in, I wasn’t completely sold on the film, but it was enough for me to say, “What the hell? I’ll give it a shot.” Not bad, but not great.

Characters: 8
Again, moving parts stories introduce a lot of characters and it’s hard to try and get people to care about everyone. While I wasn’t invested in everyone all of the time, there were plenty of moments where I cared about the character’s outcome. There were certain characters I cared about a lot more than others like the coffee shop girl and the shelter owner.

Cinematography/Visuals: 7

Conflict: 6
This is a family film, very much meant to be light-hearted. While Disney has somehow found a way of perfecting having conflict while keeping things light, Dog Days suffered a bit more in that respect. Maybe it’s the fact that you know everything is going to work itself out in the end. Then again, you kind of know that for most movies, but it’s that drive of conflict that really makes things seem dire and leave you wondering for a bit. Not the case with Dog Days.

Entertainment Value: 10
Not going to lie, this movie really had me invested from beginning to end. It’s funny, endearing, and you get to see a bunch of cute dogs. Not going to win any academy awards, but it’s a fun movie I would recommend for any family. I didn’t leave the theater thinking I had wasted my time. It was more of a, “Wow, that was surprisingly fun.”

Memorability: 9

Pace: 10
The 113-minute runtime definitely doesn’t feel like it. Sometimes having a number of storylines can confuse the audience, but I managed to follow along at an easy pace. There are no bumps, it’s pretty smooth sailing from beginning to end.

Plot: 5

Resolution: 9

Overall: 79
I can think of countless family movies that would be a better use of your two hours than Dog Days. However, for what it is, the movie does the trick. It’s undeniably cute and pretty darn entertaining. Even better if you’re a dog lover. For all of it’s cheesiness, it’s pretty solid overall.
  
Relic (2020)
Relic (2020)
2020 | Drama, Horror
8
7.4 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The synopsis for Relic was intriguing and I was confident that I could cope with this sort of horror film... let's see how that went.

When Edna is reported missing her daughter, Kay, and grandaughter, Sam, drive to town to try and find out what has happened to her. Edna's mind is failing, but there's no sign of her until she reappears suddenly with no clue where she's been. Things are almost normal, but Edna's disposition changes, as does the house around her, until they're trapped inside and escaping seems like a distant hope.

The opening of Relic was very atmospheric and it quickly sets the scene for the film, the family dynamic is clear, and the way the house is captured makes a great start at illustrating the toxicity. I had thought that knowing so much about what the film intended on doing was going to take me out of it, but it actually means you can focus on what is happening rather than trying to figure it all out as you go.

The house becomes a bit of an enigma as it evolves, and it's a clever use of the subject matter. I'm hoping that this gets a blu-ray release and we get a "making of" featurette because it feels like the process of crafting the house, and the vision of it, would be an interesting watch in itself.

Each of the three leading ladies has a very individual personality, and the generational divide is well defined. Robyn Nevin jumps backwards and forwards from normal granny to possessed being with amazing skill, and both Emily Mortimer and Bella Heathcote manage to combine the familial care and worry with the horror of the reality in their situation. It's a great team of actresses and the constantly changing dynamics between them are handled so well.

It's an intriguing take on a subject matter that we're all familiar with seeing in a dramatic setting, and it's perfectly suited to this genre. The story in Relic is a perfect way to describe the disease and the way it affects its sufferers and those around them.

My only quibble about the film is the ending. I understood what it all stood for (I think I did at least) but the way it portrayed didn't fit with everything else. That single scene really knocked me out of it, which was a little disappointing, but thankfully it didn't take too much away from what I'd already seen.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/10/relic-movie-review.html
  
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