THE BIRTH OF A NATION ★★★★☆
D: Nate Parker.
S: Armie Hammer, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Aja Naomi King, Esther Scott, Roger Guenveur Smith, Gabrielle Union, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley.
Do not expect catharsis. Powerful. Unobvious. A doozy of a last transition/shot.
ELLE ★★★★½
D: Paul Verhoeven (Black Book, Hollow Man, Starship Troopers, Showgirls, Basic Instinct, Total Recall, Robocop, Flesh + Blood, The 4th Man, Soldier of Orange, Turkish Delight).
S: Isabelle Huppert, Anne Consigny.
Consummately constructed. Humour deftly woven. Verhoeven demos how skilful he really is. Huppert eats up the screen.
PORTO ★★★☆☆
D: Gabe Klinger.
S: Anton Yelchin, Lucie Lucas, Françoise Lebrun, Paulo Calatré.
Dour. Self-conscious. Changing aspect ratio jars rather than enhances, but scene repetition, with modification, elevates.