12 YEARS A SLAVE REVIEW

Every few years, a movie comes out that one must see not just because its well done but rather due to its weight. This list would include Schindler’s List, Amistad and their ilk. 12 Years A Slave deserves to join this list.

The movie 12 Years A Slave is based upon the autobiographical book of the same name by Solomon Northup.  It chronicles the true-life story of Northup’s kidnapping and subsequent 12 years spent enslaved in South. Northup was a freeman of the North who lived in Saratoga NY. He had a family and vocation before he journeyed to Washington DC where he was captured, ransomed and sold to a plantation owners in the Southern United States. 

12 Years a Slave is the rare movie where everything is perfect because every little detail presented is important.  The use of audio-effects in this movie is unique compared to others I have seen in a long time. From the sounds of the tuning of a violin to the sound a whip makes and impacted on skin, you will experience every sound in context because it has meaning. For me, its been a very long time since I noticed every noise in a film without getting annoyed by their seemingly artificial addition to every scene. Here, the sounds amplified and flawlessly natural.

The use of panoramic shots was also very impressive.  The viewer gets the idea that the fault for the sin of slavery was a global issue and not isolated to the life of Northup. Director McQueen’s shots and angles showed it was a time when not just one group turned a blind eye to the plight of the other but when the slaves also turned ignored injustice for survive.

The movie is full of Cameos from actors whom I am sure they didn’t ask to be paid for their time. From Benedict Cumberbach, Alfre Woodard, Paul Dano and Paul Giamati to Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender.  Some appear for mere minutes or a few scenes in the film but you almost don’t notice them their “star power” they just fit.

As I started this post, I believe this movie to be very much like Spielberg’s Schindler's List. This will not be a movie I will own or possibly see more than 2-3 more times but it left an impact. It told a story not always understood because of its complexity and the sensitivity of the subject matter.  I will say, this will be a much-deserved Best Motion Picture for the Golden Globes and Oscars.  I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars.

Frozen Review

I saw Frozen on December 2, 2013!! This is easily the best animated movie I've seen in a while. The last animated movie I actually liked was Wreck It Ralph. This movie captured the magic of Disney through incredible characters, amazing visuals, and an intriguing plot. The plot revolves around two sisters: Elsa & Anna. Elsa lives in fear because she has the ability to create ice and snow. As she gets older her powers get stronger and she wants to find a way to control it. We see how her powers can be fun and incredible, while also showing how dangerous they can be. Anna is her younger, free spirited sister, and we get a sense of how close they are in the early minutes of the movie. Emotions get the better of Elsa causing her to lose control of her powers turning the entire kingdom into endless winter, thus isolating herself from her subjects, her sister, and the rest of the world to be free. Anna feels it is her fault for pushing her too much, and is on a quest to find her and bring her home to rule her kingdom. With the help of Kristoff & Olaf, she endures extreme conditions to bring her back home where she belongs. They had a nice political side plot in terms of a rival country trying to find a way to overthrow Elsa's kingdom. Along with the fun dialogue among the characters and the incredible visuals throughout, there were also some good songs. One song I thought was absolutely amazing was Let It Go where Elsa finally feels free mid-way through the movie. As I noted, the theater was packed and we all applauded when it was over. Idina Menzel did an incredible job with that piece of music. She belted it out. It reminded me of Defying Gravity in Wicked-another song that Menzel made famous. The girl can sing, and her voice really worked for Elsa. Honestly, I have no idea how you can feel nothing after listening to this song. Kristen Bell worked perfectly for Anna, while Josh Gad's voice provided natural comedic flavor to Olaf. A big part of this movie is the importance of sibling relationships. It was really interesting watching the evolution of the relationship with Elsa & Anna from when they were young children to adulthood. I liked the spin they put on true love, and how it didn't revolve around the typical guy kisses girl to solve everything. I won't lie there were so many times in this movie where my eyes started watering up just because of how natural the emotion was. Each character had their moments to shine, but what I liked is that two strong female characters dictated the pace of this movie. Elsa & Anna are officially two of my favorite female animated characters and that covers a lot of ground. Ariel from the Little Mermaid is my favorite, but these two will be remembered for their sisterly bond/love & devotion to each other, and the interesting circumstances surrounding their characters, whether it is Elsa's powers or Anna's fun personality. Frozen should win Best Animated Movie at the Oscars this year for the characters/excellent voice casting, incredible visuals, amazing plot, and interesting twists throughout. Let It Go should also be nominated...and hopefully win the Best Original Song at the Oscars. All of the factors I discussed make this a 5/5. I highly recommend seeing this if you haven't. Animation is the pickiest genre for me when looking at movies, and I am telling you this is a special movie that all ages can appreciate.