12 Years A Slave

     The good films of 2014 keep on coming! After the end credits began to roll in 12 Years A Slave I began the thought process on what score to give it. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't find fault with this flawless film by Steve McQueen.
     The story and writing were excellent and the film was crammed with countless talented actors performing at the top of their game. Chiwetel Ejiofor played the role of Solomon Northup and it was his best ever performance to date. Michael Fassbender was a brilliant baddie and was also one of the main sources of humour. Also, Lupita Nyong'o as Patsey puts herself on the map as a talented actress. Smaller supporting roles from Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti and Paul Dano added to the gravitas of this film.
      The violence was very real and harsh, which depicted a stronger realism to the story. The 12 years of Solomon's slavery were not stated. This was a thumbs up idea, as it meant you weren't sure when Northup was going to escape slavery or how.
     I have not watched a faultless film in a few years and may not again for sometime. So there is a good chance that 12 Years A Slave will be my best film of 2014. But of course, there is plenty of time to go yet.


Stars *****