Movie Review - 12 Years A Slave

GTuck -

12 Years A Slave is a very powerful movie and the visuals are amazing and disturbing.  This movie is very difficult to watch in spots, but it's so well acted it's worth struggling through.  Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Lupita Nyong'0 and of course Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northrup are amazing in this movie.  Brad Pitt is smart by casting himself in the part that saves Solomon from slavery, I guess when you produce the movie you get to pick your part, but his pick is genius.  I've never read the book so I don't know how accurate it is, but if the book is as disturbing as the movie or worse, I would never be able to read it; although the Kindle version is only 99 cents right now.  Maybe it's worth a read, it's a very scary story and it really is difficult to watch on the big screen.

The direction and editing of the story is great.  Shows enough of him as a free man before being kidnapped and sold into slavery with flashbacks and jumping around in the story at the beginning.  Very easy to follow and you get quickly attached to all of the characters.  I highly recommend watching this film, but expect to feel strange for at least the rest of the day.  I give 12 Years A Slave a 9 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl -

Ok - normally GTuck and I agree on most films, but this one I think he enjoyed a little bit more than I.  Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent movie, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.  There were too many parts where I, as the viewer, felt uncomfortable.  I guess I knew what I was getting into by going.  It sure wasn't marketed as a feel-good movie.

Michael Fassbender sure played the role of an asshole to perfection.  Chiwetel Ejiofor was amazing.  The emotions he relayed with his expressions were crazy.  He didn't have to speak for you to feel his pain and despair.

I wasn't a fan of the way the story was told.  There was jumping around, which in the end made sense, but as it was unfolding I was like WTF?

I was waiting for Brad Pitt - and was wondering if he'd ever show up.  He does, but not for long.  His time on screen was most of the happy-feel-good part of the movie.

It's an emotional movie and you could feel an uncomfortable feeling in the the theater at times.  Of course there is somewhat of a happy ending, which caused me to be a crying mess.  Overall, the movie is totally a should-see, but I think I would have enjoyed it more at home, and probably would have watched it in more than one sitting, due to the anxiety I was feeling.  I give 12 Years a Slave a 7 out of 10.