It's just disappointing...

Rating: 6/10 (17 February 2014)

Having seen the trailers and so on for the film, I had hopes that this films wouldn't just be "one of those films" wheeled out before the Oscars that aims just to rake in the awards on what is essentially the sympathy 'X-Factor' vote. I will fully admit that I went in feeling that may have been the case for the film so it may well have coloured my opinion of it. However, I felt the film lacked emotion and any real particular connection to any of the characters, and none of them felt all that well developed beyond the idea that all the white people were heartless (save for a few) and all the slaves were angels. A small amount of research reveals that Benedict Cumberbatch's character was in fact as good as a man could be when a slave trader in those times, and was wholly driven by the times and the way things were, but this was not entirely felt in the film. Another major criticism is that there is never really any sense of how much time has passed, and the only time any real ageing looks to have taken place on Soloman being a few grey hairs near the end. In addition, his character, though understandably in that situation, distances himself from his children, by encouraging another character to stop crying over her lost children in order to stop annoying him, and having no answer to her asking if he thought of his own children. This only served to make you feel even less for a character who was poorly developed in the film.
There were a few great points of the film, with Michael Fassbender's performance being a true highlight as a cruel owner, but one who took interest in one of his slaves, portrayed by Lupita Nyong'o another true highlight of the film.
All in all, I found the film to be very disappointing. The thing that truly highlights the films lack of any real emotion for me, is that my girlfriend, who I saw the film with, and who will cry at any real emotional moment in a film, (Films including Lone Survivor, Star Trek Into Darkness, Billy Elliot, Gravity and many others have seen tears smearing her make up at numerous points) remained unmoved throughout the whole film, which, considering the subject matter isn't exactly an easy feat.