12 Years a Slave is a very solid drama

Rating: 8/10 (1 March 2014)

Before watching 12 Years a Slave, I feared it to be too depressing, and on some way, it ended up being like that. However, screenwriter John Ridley and director Steve McQueen show us the most terrible sufferings of the slaves without losing of sight the main character's internal fortitude, avoiding the film to degenerate into a hollow parade of pain capable of desensitizing the audience. The excellent performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor (one of my favorite actors, by the way) is focused on keeping the hope alive despite the adversity, and he achieved it with an amazing subtleness in the use of his expressions. The supporting cast also made a solid work, highlighting Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch and Paul Giamatti in characters which must have been incredibly difficult to play. On the negative side from 12 Years a Slave, a few scenes feel too sentimental, while other ones feel a bit forced. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend 12 Years a Slave as a very solid drama.