12 Years a Slave.

[peter]

Saw this film last night. It was a horrifying, horrifying story. At the end you can do no more than prey there is a Hell - but in the absence of this it is fitting that this institution and all involved in it are remembered with contempt and loathing for their role in one of the bleakest departures of humanity from 'the right' in the history of mankind.

Having said this, considering the film as a film and in the light of it's winning of the 'Best Picture' catagory of this years academy awards - I have my reservations. It was good - even very good - but was it the best? Well, every opinion on this is bound to be subjective, but for me it would not have won over the film 'Gravity' [I know this is by no means everybodies oppinion - many were less than impressed by Alfonso Cuarons space story, but for me it hit the spot].

Chiwetel Ejiofor was superb as Soloman Northup and Michael Fassbender agonising as the repulsive slave owner Edwin Epps, but strangely for me the biggest impact was made by the short and restrained contribution of Bradd Pitt as the wandering Canadian tradesman Samuel Bass who eventually takes up the risky challenge of extracting Northup from his plight. The film very definitely and often very harrowingly makes its point, and the final scene of the reunion of Northup with his wife and now grown-up family is handled masterfully. Gosh - if only all film making were this good!

[Morning]

I cannot agree more with your analysis. Maybe I would go as far as saying that the movie, as a movie, is pretty average. The rest that you wrote? Hell yeah.

[Morning]

Speaking of Fassbender, two must.sees: Fishtank and Shame.

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

I need to see those.