12 Years as a Slave: Gamechanger

I will put as high praise as I can on 12 Years as a Slave. It's everything that's great about movies. It tells a powerful story and emotionally throws you to the wolves. The story follows Soloman, a free black man living in Saratoga, NY with his family playing the violin for a living. He's approached by two white men to travel with them and perform, making $3/performance & $1/day travel. They proceed to get him to drink too much and sell him into slavery. The next hour and a half is a brutal, honest tale of slavery and abuse. The acting is all top notch with great performances across the board from talented actors playing in minor roles that are much smaller than what they are used to: Paul Dano, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, and Michael Williams (AKA OMAR the Stick Up Boy). The result is an amazing and powerful film that I feel like can only be compared to such an epic as Schindler's List in how strong it is. I was crying in a movie theatre for the first time in I can't remember when. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the role of a lifetime to perfection and an Oscar nomination and possible win is sure to follow. Fassbender will probably garner one for best supporting actor, I'd like to see Adepero Oduye get something for her portrayal as Eliza, a slave who has the grave misfortune of being her master's object of affection. There really isn't a weak link in the whole chain. It's just a phenomenal film that is one of the great ones. Bottom Line: 9.8 out of 10. It's just about a perfect movie, it's that simple. This is what I would refer to as a must-see movie for all adults.