good to the point of unbearable

Rating: Null/10 (23 April 2014)

Excruciating and gut-wrenching drama based on the memoirs of Solomon Northup, a free-born New Yorker, musician, and family man, until he's kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Antebellum South. Director McQueen and screenwriter Ridley make no attempt to whitewash the graphic and unsettling subject matter, creating a vivid and compelling portrait of violence, brutality, and human cruelty, but at the same time glimmers of hope, strength, and inspiration, made all the more powerful by the film's autobiographical source material. A stunning and unflinching recreation of one of the most horrific periods in American history, tough to stomach at times, but so well-crafted, well-made, and convincingly acted that its impact can't be denied. Ejiofor perfectly embodies the gamut of confusion, fear, and determination of the beleaguered protagonist, Fassbender is disturbingly good as the vile, vicious monster of a plantation owner, while Nyong'o is simply heartbreaking as a demoralized slave girl. A monumental achievement and truly a must-see, but be warned: sitting through it more than once would be a difficult task. ****