Boring

Rating: 4/10 (22 February 2014)

I had to write a review about this movie when I learnt that this movie has won 'movie of the year' awards at various awards ceremony and is favourite to win at the Oscars too. I look at the past winners of the Oscars, films like 'Gladiator', 'Million dollar baby', 'Titanic' - all of which were hugely entertaining and I can't believe this may join them.
This movie was very boring and very long. It was depressing scene after depressing scene. This film was not entertaining and was more like a documentary film (which should have been released on TV with less famous actors, maybe at Sky history channel?) as it had none of the qualities I enjoy in a movie. I guess I knew it was going to be like this and I guess I should not have gone to see this movie. There was no entertainment at all, just boredom and portrayal of distressing and depressing scenes, one after the other.
I am a huge fan of Michael Fassbender from his 'Xmen - first class' movie and I was impressed again by his performance of an evil man who was sexually attracted to one of his female slaves. I guess I do have a bias towards him as I am a huge fan of his portrayal of Magneto in X men. All the actors do an excellent job and are very believable.
Slavery is a sensitive topic and this film has given an insight into what it would have been like for a slave in those days. So in terms of education and visual portrayal of slavery, this movie did an excellent job. This was an emotional movie and one cannot deny the pain and suffering that the main character and indeed slaves in general went through in our history. One moving scene at the end where he meets his family again after 12 years was particularly moving especially as he learns that his grandson which he sees for the first time is named after him - Solomon.
Overall I can only get a feeling that this movie is so successful in the box office and the awards ceremony as it deals with a controversial issue such as slavery. In a way people are scared of putting this movie down as not to come off as a racist or not politically correct. If you want entertainment and enjoyment, do not go to watch this movie. If you want an education lesson about mainly what one particular slave went through and witnessed during his time as a slave and want to witness depressing, disturbing and generally a boring two and half hour movie, please feel free and watch this movie.