Very good, but maybe a little overrated

Rating: 8/10 (6 June 2016)

'12 Years a Slave' is a very powerful and moving film based on the true story of a black man sold into slavery. It was excellently received by critics and audiences alike when it was first released so I was really looking forward to seeing it for the first time when it premiered on British TV this weekend.
There's no doubt about it, this is a very good film. Even with the highly irritating advert breaks every 15 minutes it was easy to become emotionally involved in the storyline. However, I must admit that I didn't think it was as good as many have suggested and there were parts of the film that I thought could have been better executed. In particular, I thought the scenes of violence were unnecessarily long. The audience can easily grasp what is happening without the need for prolonged scenes of brutal beatings that almost force emotions on you.
Overall, '12 Years a Slave' is undeniably a powerful film that does a good job at telling a very difficult story. I thought it was well written and acted and I can understand the reasons behind the glowing reviews. A very good film, but I was expecting more to be honest.