Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o, Benedict Cumberpatch, Brad Pitt, Paul Dano, Alfre Woodard, Sarah Paulson, Paul Giamatti
Rated R for violence/cruelty, some nudity and brief sexuality, Running time 134 minutes, Drama/Historical/Biography
Compare to: Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Movies like this don’t get made that often. I don’t mean movies about slaves or how one man triumphed the white system when everyone was against him. I certainly don’t mean movies like The Butler, or Lincoln, where much meaning is lost through all the Hollywood “doctoring.”
Movies like 12 Years a Slave are rare in their authenticity to the source, the engaging way in which they’re told, and it’s ability to make you cringe without ever looking away. Director Steve McQueen has done it again, in a story that’s both amazing and horrifying. Continue reading