12 Years a Slave (2013)

I found this to be both unbearable and unaffecting. I believe that the filmmaker did the story a disservice by refusing to ever lighten the mood -- surely there were moments of joy (and, no, finally deciding to join in a spiritual sing-along doesn’t count). It just got to feeling so repetitive without us ever really getting to know who Solomon was. I didn’t flinch at the beatings or dozens of indignities because I became so used to them.

I’m sure the book is more affecting than this stagnant telling.

C-