Fantastic is an Understatement

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2014)

Wow. Just, wow. Few movies are so moving as to bring me to tears, and 12 Years a Slave can now be added to that list.
There are several factors that contribute to this movie's ability to resonate with me so much. The cinematography and direction are fantastic thanks to the creative eye of Steve McQueen. Several scenes just seem to linger, the lens sticking around to add the emphasis that most directors would skip in favor for more action.
Performances from Fassbender and Ejiofor are top tier, and really create an amazingly realistic world that indeed used to exist.
I beseech anyone who wants to see a deep and thought provoking movie to watch this, as it is extremely good. On a side note, this movie and Django Unchained should be watched by any person who is racist or discriminates against any race, nationality, or creed. If Django displays the lunacy and cruelty of slavery in the 1800s through laughter, 12 Years a Slave does it through raw emotion and pain.