A totally flat and pedestrian directorial exercise

Rating: 1/10 (7 June 2016)

I could not believe the extent to which this film was "honoured" at the 2014 Oscars. I found its directorial handling to be flat and pedestrian, and even boring in parts. The film consisted of "scene" after "scene", without conveying any real sense of movement, tension, and development in the story as a key illumination to the American history of slavery in the years leading to the American Civil War and the eventual emancipation of slaves in the United States of America. Contrary to received "wisdom", I found Chiwetel Ejiofor's performance as Solomon wooden in the extreme - as though he was sleep-walking throughout (unlike his brilliant performance in "Kinky Boots"). Ms Lupita Nyong'o ran away with the film with her heart-rending performance as Patsey.