Unflinching, uncompromising, unforgettable

Rating: 10/10 (3 November 2013)

12 Years a Slave is the third and most important of three major films this year about the history of the African American experience. First came 42, a warm, smooth, and compelling story of the great Jackie Robinson's integration of baseball. Next came The Butler, a history of two sides of post-WW2 the civil rights movement wrapped up in about two hours. I also found this movie quite good.
But nothing can compare to the stark, clear-eyed, difficult-to-watch but extremely rewarding film that Steve McQueen has put before us in 12 Years a Slave. And it took 3 Brits - McQueen, Michael Fassbender and the extraordinary Chiwetel Ejiofer - to do it.
12 Years a Slave is not fun to watch. Unlike other movies, even great ones like Schindler's List, it pulls no punches along the way. All the violence done to slaves is here, in graphic form. It's not on screen for just an instant, but lingers as we are forced to watch. It is so well-done that it feels like the truth.
Ejiofer ("Chewy," my wife and I call him) has been one of my favorite actors since Dirty Pretty Things a decade ago. But other than a great star turn as drag queen Lola in Kinky Boots, he hadn't gotten the roles he deserves, playing cops on TV, sidekicks, and the like. No more.
Ejiofer is in virtually every scene. Closeups of his face seem to last minutes at a time. Solomon is a role destined for Oscar consideration, but "Chewy" goes as deep in his performance as McQueen has in his realization.
Great performances, and a great movie. Just make sure you're ready before you see it.