Movie Review: "12 Years a Slave"  by zmandell | October 21, 2013
at 08:14 am 72 views | 0 Recommendations | add comment  Rating:
R  Length: 133 minutes  Release Date: October 18, 2013  Directed
by: Steve McQueen  Genre: Biography, History, Drama  Stars: 4
out of 5  Director Steve McQueen is not one to shy away from
difficult topics. In his most recent film, he continues that
trend by tackling one of the toughest issues in American
history. In "12 Years a Slave," McQueen explores the true story
of an African-American New Yorker in the pre-Civil War era.
Harrowing, heartrending, and at times brutal, "12 Years a Slave"
offers the kind of intense experience that might lead viewers to
remind each other that "it's just a movie." The power of
McQueen's film lies in the fact that it's not just a movie. The
horror doesn't depend on CGI monsters or urban legends. McQueen
has directed a horror movie about the cruelty of the human
heart.  Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) lives a contented and
productive life in New Yor