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    Horrors of History and Trashy Train Ride

    Can you hear that? That is Oscar buzz. Early Oscar bait hits Columbus theaters this weekend in the form of Nate Parker’s blistering historical drama The Birth of a Nation. Looking for something pulpier? Ever-reliable Emily Blunt stars in a modern noir – or you can always check out the master of those dark and twisties as Hitchcocktober rolls on at the Gateway Film Center.

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    The Birth of a Nation

    Two years ago, Selma delivered a graceful reminder of one man’s courageous commitment to a civil rights movement rooted in non-violence.

    Now, The Birth of a Nation recreates a primal scream of outrage from one man driven to a violent uprising against the inhumanity of slavery. It is a passionate, often gut-wrenching film that stands as a stellar achievement from director/producer/co-writer/star Nate Parker.

    Parker pours his soul into this film, both behind the camera and in front, delivering a searing performance as Nat Turner, the Virginia slave who organized a bloody rebellion in 1831. Parker’s film is blunt and visceral, displaying a strong sense of visual style and narrative instinct.

    Parker’s debut as a director, while often short on nuance, is remarkably assured, displaying a sharp eye for framing, a nicely controlled pace and a confidence in the effect of his visuals. Using Nina Simone’s haunting version of “Strange Fruit” could have been jarringly anachronistic, but Parker lays it over a montage so striking the combination proves undeniably powerful.

    The story of Nat Tuner’s rebellion absolutely deserves a big screen treatment like this, and it presents a brilliant irony right up front. The title rebuts one of the most notoriously racist films in history while it shakes you with a stark reminder that much of this country was built with slave labor. The Birth of a Nation is a truly raw and moving experience that finds humanity in the horrors of history.

    Grade: A-

    The Girl on the Train

    Not every book makes for a good movie – not even those page turners that seem cinematic as you read them.

    Paula Hawkins’s insanely popular novel The Girl on the Train, for instance, had the feel of a pulpy film noir from the get go. Unfortunately, director Tate Taylor (The Help, Get On Up) can’t deliver on that promise.

    Emily Blunt does, though. As the titular traveler – a vodka-addled protagonist of the most unreliable sort – her performance is as frustrating, sympathetic and confused as it needs to be to sell the sordid tale.

    Rachel (Blunt) lives vicariously through the couple she passes twice daily on her commute. Aah, the overactive imagination of a very lonely woman – one who’s really diverting her own attention away from the house two doors down. The one that used to be hers, with the husband that used to be hers, along with his new wife and baby.

    Yes, her imagination gets her into lots of trouble. That and her blackouts.

    Taylor, with the help of screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson, takes a stab at shifting the points of view of the three female leads – Rachel, her ex’s new wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson), and that dreamy neighbor Megan (Haley Bennett). The muddled result is partly due to Taylor’s inept handling of shifting time and perspective, and the lifeless props serving as Blunt’s supporting characters.

    It’s impossible to watch this film without longing for David Fincher (Gone Girl, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), who’s proven that dark chick lit can create undeniably watchable cinema. Like Rachel’s own window on the world, Taylor’s film is little more than a bleary mess.

    Grade: C-

    Also opening in Columbus this weekend:

    • THE DRESSMAKER (R)
    • THE FREE WORLD(NR)
    • GIRL ASLEEP (NR)
    • THE GREASY STRANGLER (NR)
    • KATE PLAYS CHRISTINE (NR)
    • MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE (PG)
    • PHANTASM: RAVAGER (NR)

    Reviews with help from George Wolf.

    Read more from Hope at MADDWOLF and listen to her weekly horror movie podcast, FRIGHT CLUB.

    Looking for more film events in Columbus? CLICK HERE to visit our Events Calendar.

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    Hope Madden
    Hope Maddenhttps://columbusunderground.com
    Hope Madden is a freelance contributor on Columbus Underground who covers the independent film scene, writes film reviews and previews film events.
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