Mickster Movie Review - "12 Years A Slave" (2013) ****

     On day one of the Best Picture Showcase, AMC saved the best film for last. 12 Years A Slave is one of the front-runners for Best Picture along with Gravity and American Hustle. I can certainly see why now. Slavery is obviously a touchy subject and one that is hard to put into an "entertainment" medium. Lincoln touched on the subject last year, but from the viewpoint of a white man, President Abraham Lincoln. We know how important he was to ending slavery, but the film didn't really go into what slavery was like for black people at that time. 12 Years A Slave shows us up close what that reality was and after witnessing it, I can't imagine going through what slaves went through in this country during that time. I feel like 12 Years A Slave is to slavery what Schindler's List is to the holocaust. Both are brilliant films but unflinching in what the camera sees, they challenge us to forget what we saw. Something that to me seems impossible to do.

     Directed by Steve McQueen, Slave is based on a true story by Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York. Northup lives a quiet life with his wife and kids and is well-respected in the community as he is a talented violinist. On a trip to Washington D.C., Solomon is kidnapped and wakes up chained to a floor. Two white gentlemen come in the room and when he protests his confinement, he is brutally whipped. Solomon slowly comes to the realization that he is now a slave and cannot escape. He is sold to a plantation owner and shipped to New Orleans. Over the next 12 years, Solomon experiences a brutal life filled with beatings, hangings and murder. It is personified by his most violent owner, a man named Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), who is ruthless to the core. Solomon does all he can to survive, and regain his dignity, never losing hope that one day he will be reunited with his family.

     12 Years A Slave is not an easy movie to watch. I doubt that I will be putting this on the tube on a regular basis. That being said, I think it's a film that every body SHOULD see at least once, just like Schindler's List. While these events are dark times in history, we can't forget they happened. We need to be reminded from time to time how evil humans can be and how precious life is and we should savor our freedom every day. Chiwetel Ejiofor is brilliant in his portrayal of Solomon. I haven't seen all of the other performances yet, and it appears Matthew McConaughey is the odds on favorite to win the Best Actor Oscar, but for now my vote would be for Ejiofor. But he is far from the only strong performance in the film. Lupita Nyong'o is memorable as another slave named Patsey. Brad Pitt and Benedict Cumberbatch play roles as white men who actually respect Northup and do what they can to help him, both are effective in their portrayals. Paul Giamatti, Alfre Woodard and Sarah Paulson are strong, as always, in supporting roles. But the real star is Ejiofor and director McQueen. They've taken a very controversial subject and looked at it with honest eyes. It's hard to watch, but very effective. I give this a very high recommendation but go in knowing that it may be hard to watch in parts.

Mickster