"12 Years a Slave" Review

What would you do if everything you ever knew was taken away in a single moment, like a rug suddenly yanked from beneath your feet?

Such is the tale of Solomon Northup – a free man from Saratoga, New York who finds himself wrongfully kidnapped and sold into slavery. As he awaits justice to be wrought in his favor, Solomon spends twelve years trying to retain his dignity in the face of both wicked cruelty and unexpected kindness.

Powerful and emotionally gripping, 12 Years a Slave is one of the year’s best films. Mr. Northup’s incredible true story gets due presentation from Steve McQueen's careful, reverent direction. He cradles each frame like a long lost child. The way he lingers on certain shots lends the film a palpable, affecting gravity. 

The production design makes the film feel as if it were actually filmed on location in the mid-19^th century. Together with John Ridley’s colloquial script, “12 Years a Slave” boasts a tremendous sense of historical accuracy, even though the brutal acts committed against the slaves are difficult to watch.

Chiwetel Ejiofor gives the performance of his career as Northup and leads a stellar ensemble cast including Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, and Sarah Paulson. As he reacts to the injustice done to him, Ejiofor places the audience right by his side for the ups and downs of this emotional roller coaster. Look for him at the front of the Best Actor pack this coming Oscar season.

As Master Epps, the film’s most notable antagonist, Fassbender slithers around his plantation like a snake, wrongfully invoking the name of God to justify his evil. This makes Epps easy to loathe as a character but Fassbender perfect for the role.

My favorite scene features Argo’s Scoot McNairy and SNL’s Taran Killam doing their best Barnum and Bailey impersonations as the entertainers Brown and Hamilton respectively. Their lighthearted demeanors lend flair to a conversation they have early on with Solomon. This serves as a jovial juxtaposition against the heavy-hearted content that follows.

12 Years a Slave is not the feel-good movie of the year. 

Such graphic, realistic depiction of life in the antebellum south is not for all casual audience members. This film is emotionally taxing with unsettling words and actions that nearly moved me to tears on several occasions.

But it is as worthy a testament to the human spirit as audiences have seen all year. Ejiofor’s career-defining performance, McQueen’s careful direction, Ridley’s excellent script and period-appropriate production design make 12 Years a Slave an unforgettable cinematic experience.  

Don’t miss this sure-fire Oscar contender that should garner nods in the acting, directing, screenwriting, production design, and best picture categories.

9.5/10