Sunday, November 24, 2013

12 Years a Slave (review)


One of many pivotal moments in the film, told via one of McQueen's long takes.


12 Years a Slave
  • Steve McQueen has generated another compelling, challenging film.  His work is always brave and never easy to watch.  RT describes the film as "unflinchingly brutal."  Yep.  Michael Fassbender's character chiefly represents that brutality in another ferocious and no-holds-barred performance.  There are a number of welcome cameos from some of the most skilled actors working today - Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, to name a few.  But the true shining star here is Chiwetel Ejiofor.  His performance will obviously earn him an Oscar nod (if not, he's truly been robbed of that distinction).  This is the moment in his career that will jettison him from supporting actor to lead.  The humility and bravery with which he portrays Solomon Northrup is commendable and requires absolute commitment to the role.  Likewise, skilled director Steve McQueen (whose previous, lesser known works include Hunger and Shame) will now be dead center in Hollywood's radar of talented filmmakers.  Combining masterful performances, dedicated direction, and a harsh reality that's part of our history, 12 Years a Slave is a demanding, brilliant film.
  • Rating: 4.5 out of 5


  • Note: I don't own the rights to any of the photos on this website.  They're copied here from Google images for entertainment purposes only.

    No comments:

    Post a Comment