Solid performances mostly help overcome film's shortcomings

Rating: 7/10 (25 February 2014)

It's impossible not to approach a movie like 12 Years a Slave without a sense of obligation. You know you're going to experience moments that make you feel uncomfortable and face things that are downright ugly. Steve McQueen doesn't do much to cushion the blow, but he does offer a hand to lead you through this real-life horror story. That hand belongs to Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays Solomon Northup, a free man kidnapped into slavery.
The movie relies on Ejiofor quite heavily throughout. He's given ample time to think about his situation or, at times, the consequences of his actions. One particular scene near the end, where Solomon wonders whether he dare allow himself any hope or prepare himself for another thrashing (or worse) instead, is a master class in nuance (helped along by some well-placed thunder). He brings a humanity to his character that's more than just pity. His eyes capture a spirit and a longing. He holds the piece together. Of course, he's not the only one that shows up with their work boots on. Lupita Nyong'o delivers a stirring turn with two standout scenes, Michael Fassbender gives an understated performance of an outrageous and over-the-top character, and Sarah Paulson channels pure evil.
These performance go a long way to make up for some weaknesses in the script. Filled with one-note characters and some clumsy dialogue, screenwriter John Ridley gives his actors as much to overcome as to chew on. While there are some masterful sequences, like the prolonged hanging scene and Solomon's rescue, the film throws you some duds as well. Eliza and Solomon's heated exchange comes off flat as Adepero Oduye proves incapable of pulling off the questionable dialogue ("You luxuriate in his favour"). At another point, he has Solomon afraid to share his story to a potentially kind master for fear of the repercussions he might face if he's wrong about the man, but soon after has him stand up to and whip a verbally abusive overseer knowing full well there could be potentially deadly consequences. Towards the end, Brad Pitt's character comes in just in time to review some of the main themes of the film in the form of a debate and then save the day.
The direction here is strong, for the most part. There's no question McQueen gets everything out of his actors and he does a wonderful job of staging his scenes. If fact, most scenes, taken as individual pieces, are marvelously executed. Certainly each time Solomon's awoken in the middle of the night is powerful in its own way. But not everything adds up as a whole. He builds a mystery around the circumstances surrounding Solomon's abduction by being purposefully obfuscating and then doesn't pay it off until the film's text-based epilogue. Also, for a film named after a passage of time, the film does little to give the viewer a sense of time passing. Were it not for the specific timeframe in the film's title, one would have no idea if a decade had passed or merely a couple of years. The only evidence being the expression on Ejiofor's face and some whisps of grey hair.
But at other times you feel a skilled hand at the wheel. To further the theme of alienation, Solomon is rarely seen interacting with his fellow slaves after the boat trips when he's split from his initial cohorts. There's a distance between him and the other slaves. He only ever speaks to Eliza, Patsy or Mistress Shaw (about Patsy). However, during the funeral for Uncle Abram (a blink-and-you'll-miss-him Dwight Henry), the group begins to sing Roll Jordan Roll. Solomon, at first, refrains from joining in. He's shown contemplating his situation. He resists but eventually seems to accept that, whatever he is, he's one of these people and surrenders to the song. It's a scene that's as overwhelming for the audience as it is for the character.
12 Years a Slave features the efforts of some abundantly talented people and works hard to overcome its shortcomings. It stumbles along the way but manages to cross the line with dignity. If it's considered a classic in the years to come it will be in no small part to Mr. Ejiofor and his supporting cast. At least films like this and Lincoln will make history classes more interesting for coming generations.