12 Years A Slave

SF: The title should tell you enough about what this film is about. Given that this is a well known subject matter you might think you are prepared for the emotional turmoil this film has to throw at you. At least that is what I thought anyway. It is nothing short of brilliant, horrifying and deeply moving. The score is a beautiful accompaniment to a well directed poignant film. The performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor is flawless, he is able to balance the pain of each situation and and the futility in the face so much injustice with real subtlety. Not one I think I could watch again because of how effected I was but well worth 10/10

50 Eggs: This is a film that is designed to be an uncomfortable watch, so it was quite ironic that I watched this in Gold Class, in one of the special seats with buttons on it that make sure I'm perfectly comfy for the duration.Maybe that is one of the reasons that 12 Years didn't affect me all that much, or maybe it's just because I'm horribly desensitized. Either way, it is still a very good film, with lots of great performances and lovely camera work. It's not the best film ever (as the advert says it is), but it is the best film of 2014 so far (15/1/14). 8.5/10

DonkeyB: It is a masterpiece, clearly McQueen's best film which is quite a statement. It is deeply upsetting- a film that is about slavery. I liked parts of Django Unchained but it was not a film which dealt in any serious way with the subject of American slavery despite Quentin's protestations- he should be made to watch this on a loop until he has disabused himself of the idea. I think there is a potential problem with the Solomon Northup story- does the fact that he is a free black man make his treatment worse or any less morally repugnant than the 'slaves' he encounters?  I thought the film hinted at this dilemma, there is a balance between the personal crime committed against one man and the wider moral crime of slavery in general which his story is used to illustrate. There are no faults with the film at all. 10/10

Overall: 9.5/10