12 Years a Slave

 

• Released Internationally on 08/11/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 05/02/14

Review (04/02/14)

3-word review: Harder than fiction.

If you are looking for easy entertainment, look elsewhere. But if you want to see a powerful retelling of a story that is unbelievably true, then this piece of subtle but masterful filmmaking by Steve McQueen and his team comes highly recommended.

Solomon Northup was born a free man in the 19th century, but was working in Washington when he was drugged, kidnapped and sold as a slave. He spent a staggering twelve years in slavery, unable to communicate with the outside world or convince his owners of his freedom. It sounds impossible in this day and age, but in pre-telephone and pre-abolition America, an injustice this grave could indeed, and did indeed, happen. We know about Solomon because he published a book about his ordeal soon after being reunited with his family, and now thanks to Steve McQueen’s uncomfortable but important adaptation.

The unease and disbelief as one watches this story unfold start to sink in just as they do for the film’s main protagonist, portrayed with an impressive array of emotion by Chiwetel Ejiofor (Children of Men). His desperate attempts to stop the chain of events are met with the cruel, arrogant and infuriating behaviour of his traders, captors and owners. Only one (portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch) shows some redeeming glimmer of humanity, but slavery remains the order of the day and its atrocities are never questioned. Whereas Quentin Tarantino tackled this dark issue with a hint of humour and a deceptive light touch in Django Unchained, McQueen holds nothing back, with visceral gore, agonising long takes and nothing left to the imagination. The technical and acting prowess portrayed in one memorable long take are particularly breath-taking.

The treatment of Northup is mirrored by the heart-wrenching story of his fellow slave Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o, in an impressive breakout performance that has unsurprisingly earned her an Oscar nomination). This helps remind us that as cruel as it is to submit a free person to the hardships of slavery, it is even worse that others lived and died as slaves, with no hope of release.

There’s nothing too fancy about this film, and nothing ground-breaking. But it is an astounding story of human hardship, told in an unyielding manner. That us humans are capable of such acts is an issue that deserves our attention, lest we deceive ourselves that this is all ancient history and everything is now fine.

 

 

Trailers:
https://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/12yearsaslave/

Salt

• Released Internationally on 21/07/10
• Released in Malta by KRS on 01/09/10

Preview (first published in VIDA magazine on 01/08/10)

It’s sometimes tempting to dismiss Angelina Jolie’s acting talents because of how insanely attractive she looks. But her roles have been varied and acclaimed over the years, and her output consistently successful. Here she stars as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent who is accused of being an undercover KGB agent. She must use her skills to stay on the run until she can clear her name, as the whole nation hunts her down. It’s sort of like the Bourne trilogy, but with a nicer silhouette.

Review (31/08/10)

Spy wars

Science fiction and fantasy films transport us to worlds which we, the audience, could never inhabit ourselves. I've always felt the same about spy films. They are a clearly defined and easily recognizable genre of films. They have their own set of rules. And although I know that somewhere in the present, or sometime in the future, the events therein can actually happen, they are as alien to me as the Millennium Falcon or Mordor. Those of you who are active or retired secret service agents may of course beg to differ, but then again I doubt you enjoy these sort of films to begin with.

In from the cold

The fictional tale on display today is set in the present and near future, within the arenas of USA and Russia with some leftover Cold War sentiments. One day, a haggard-looking, foreign-sounding old man walks into a supposedly covert CIA office, and announces that he is a Russian spy ready to hand himself in. Evelyn Salt, an experienced CIA agent with years of experience dealing with Russian affairs, is handed the job of seeing whether he is a nutcase or the real deal. After a brief interview she is all but ready to discard his unlikely theories, but as she leaves the room he announces to all who are listening that she herself is a Russian spy who will assassinate the Russian president on US soil in the coming days.

When in doubt

Her immediate supervisor, Ted Winter (Liev Schreiber - Defiance, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), seems to have faith in Salt, but the secret service chief Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor - Children of Men, 2012) isn't ready to take any chances. Terrified that her husband's safety could be at stake, Salt does what seems natural - she runs. This does wonders for her innocence plea, and a Washington-wide chase ensues. With years of physical, mental and weapons training under her belt, Salt proves rather elusive, and the mid-section of the film provides a long and exhilarating chase full of gadgetry and stunts.

Why it works

Then comes the point where the film scored many points, at least in my book. Rather than proceeding along the expected route, which has been seen in countless films before, the plot manages to keep twisting and turning, with a large amount of uncertainty, leaving the true motive and identity of this Salt character as something of a mystery right up to the ending. Admittedly, it verges on the silly and far-fetched at times, but the overall result remains entertaining and engaging. Director Philip Noyce (The Bone Collector, Clear and Present Danger) manages to keep the pace brisk throughout the film, although at times he resorts to the usual 'fugitive' clichés - running through woods - check, booking a hotel room under a false name - check, hair-dying scene - check, and so on. Jolie's performance is suitably enigmatic, with her sculpted facial features alternating between the anguish of a hunted wife and the stony expression of a disciplined spy.

In the end

There's nothing incredibly original about this film, although to their credit, the writers managed to conceive a rather inventive twist on the over-used Russian spy themes. Despite its flaws, it remains an entertaining espionage thriller which should appeal to a wide audience. Not particularly memorable, but great fun.

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/salt/