12 Years A Slave Review

Rating: 10/10 (22 October 2013)

Steve McQueen's first two features Hunger and Shame are both riveting and shocking films. Shame is my favorite Michael Fassbender performance and now his role as the deranged plantation owner Edwin Epps, in McQueen's brave and daring new film 12 Years A Slave, comes into a close second, but maybe upon multiple viewings, may slide into first.
Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) was born a free man. While residing in Saratoga, New York with his wife and two kids, Solomon is drugged. When he awakes, Solomon finds himself chained to the floor, and from then on must fight to survive as he gets moved from plantation to plantation.
Chiwetel Ejiofor gives one of the most honest, intense, heart-wrenching performances of the year. Ejiofor is in damn near every frame and he is nothing short of miraculous. Then for a few scenes we get the always eclectic Paul Giamatti, who handles his role so delicately, and respectively, you can tell that he approached it like a true master. Giamatti's performance is so menacing and hateful, that his character has become the most hated character on film in recent years for me.
Benedict Cumberbatch is also on top of his game as William Ford, a baptist preacher who buys Solomon off of Giamatti's Theophilus Freeman. Paul Dano is fearless as the hot-headed John Tibeats. Dano has always been an interesting actor to watch, but his past two roles, Prisoners and now 12 Years A Slave are some of his finest work.
Michael Fassbender's performance will have the hair on the back of your neck stand tall. It may be hard to watch a few scenes of his. If there ever was devil, it would be the character that Fassbender has embodied. Extremely strong work. Sarah Paulson gives an equally cruel, yet brilliant performance as Fassbender's demented wife.
The startling beautiful Lupita Nyong'o shines in her first feature film. Nyong'o plays Patsey, a slave Solomon has befriended. Every scene of hers is a stab to the heart with the ignorant, immoral brutality that is thrust upon her. Brad Pitt and Alfre Woodard both give limited, but strong on screen presences and both have memorable scenes.
Steve McQueen's directing has become almost flawless. 12 Years A Slave features some breath taking plantation imagery, while still showing the harsh conditions, hardships, and the blatant racism that these African-Americans faced. The pacing of the film is perfect, there is one lashing scene that is extremely detailed and will be hard to watch for most. There is one thing that my girlfriend pointed out to me, it was that they didn't show what Solomon's family went through, did they try and search for him? Did they presume he was dead? Those questions would have been nice, but ultimately thats just nit-picking and not what the story was about.
McQueen will most certainly receive award nominations, along with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender. 12 Years A Slave will not be a film for everyone, but I assure you if you give the film a chance, you will not be disappointed. This film has one of the best ensemble cast all year and all of its actors deliver masterful performances. I give 12 Years A Slave a 10 out of 10.