12 Years a Slave (2013 movie)
Directed by: Steve McQueen
Released: 2013
Country: United States, United Kingdom
Genres: Historical drama
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'O, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Sarah Paulson
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Short review: ''12 Years a Slave'' is a heartbreaking, emotionally-intense adaptation of the true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man. who had been kidnapped and sold into slavery. The film is set in the 1840s and 1850s. Solomon, played by Chitwetel Eliofor, was an efficient violinist, respected by the whites. He gets a job proposal from two white men, which requires him to travel with them. However, these people actually intend to kidnap him, and to illegally sold him into slavery. He wakes up one day, only to find himself in chains. A flashback reveals that he was tricked and drugged by those two men. He is soon sold, and has to work hard as a slave, having been renamed ''Platt'' and warned never to tell anybody that he is actually a free man, and that he can read and write...
This is the story of a man who, having been a free man all his life, is suddenly made a slave, has to suffer from this cruel system. He witnesses a lot of things while he is a slave; he himself is treated horribly, and he witnesses the cruel treatment of his fellow slaves. One of his fellow slaves, Patsy (Lupita Nyong'O) gets much emphasis in the film. She is a sad young woman and the subject to the Mistress's repeated tortures, which get unbearable. One of the very first scenes in which we see her is the scene where she sits in the field, humming to herself and making a doll. This scene is so very sweet and also it is painful when we think about it later, because over the course of the film she becomes the subject to intense torture, from both the Master and the Mistress. Nyong'O gives a very emotionally-charged performance, and she has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Michael Fassbender as the cruel master gives an excellent performance. The screenplay is excellent, and the whole film is painful, bleak, emotionally-intense, with a wonderful screenplay and an excellent performances from Ejiofor and Nyong'O.
American Hustle (2013 movie)
Directed by: David O. Russell
Released: 2013
Country: United States
Genres: Crime, Comedy-drama
Cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Paul Renner
Released: 3 out of 5
Short review: I didn't hate or dislike ''American Hustle''. But that doesn't mean that I liked it. Rather, I think it was something between like and dislike. First of all, I didn't really think that the major plot, which was about two conmen working with an FBI agent to expose a corrupt mayor, was interesting. I couldn't follow much of the plot. What I liked about this film is the strong performances from Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. I felt more interest in the personal relations between these characters than the main plot itself (that doesn't mean that I cared for any of these characters). However, all four of them are excellent in their roles, and while David O'Russell's direction is really good and the screenplay is good and the (that's why I'm giving it a 3, in spite of not admiring the film), this is a well-made film, but I couldn't like the main plot enough to like the overall film.
3 out of 5
Directed by: Steve McQueen
Released: 2013
Country: United States, United Kingdom
Genres: Historical dramaCast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'O, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Sarah Paulson
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Short review: ''12 Years a Slave'' is a heartbreaking, emotionally-intense adaptation of the true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man. who had been kidnapped and sold into slavery. The film is set in the 1840s and 1850s. Solomon, played by Chitwetel Eliofor, was an efficient violinist, respected by the whites. He gets a job proposal from two white men, which requires him to travel with them. However, these people actually intend to kidnap him, and to illegally sold him into slavery. He wakes up one day, only to find himself in chains. A flashback reveals that he was tricked and drugged by those two men. He is soon sold, and has to work hard as a slave, having been renamed ''Platt'' and warned never to tell anybody that he is actually a free man, and that he can read and write...
This is the story of a man who, having been a free man all his life, is suddenly made a slave, has to suffer from this cruel system. He witnesses a lot of things while he is a slave; he himself is treated horribly, and he witnesses the cruel treatment of his fellow slaves. One of his fellow slaves, Patsy (Lupita Nyong'O) gets much emphasis in the film. She is a sad young woman and the subject to the Mistress's repeated tortures, which get unbearable. One of the very first scenes in which we see her is the scene where she sits in the field, humming to herself and making a doll. This scene is so very sweet and also it is painful when we think about it later, because over the course of the film she becomes the subject to intense torture, from both the Master and the Mistress. Nyong'O gives a very emotionally-charged performance, and she has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Michael Fassbender as the cruel master gives an excellent performance. The screenplay is excellent, and the whole film is painful, bleak, emotionally-intense, with a wonderful screenplay and an excellent performances from Ejiofor and Nyong'O.
American Hustle (2013 movie)
Directed by: David O. Russell
Released: 2013
Country: United States
Genres: Crime, Comedy-drama
Cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Paul Renner
Released: 3 out of 5
Short review: I didn't hate or dislike ''American Hustle''. But that doesn't mean that I liked it. Rather, I think it was something between like and dislike. First of all, I didn't really think that the major plot, which was about two conmen working with an FBI agent to expose a corrupt mayor, was interesting. I couldn't follow much of the plot. What I liked about this film is the strong performances from Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. I felt more interest in the personal relations between these characters than the main plot itself (that doesn't mean that I cared for any of these characters). However, all four of them are excellent in their roles, and while David O'Russell's direction is really good and the screenplay is good and the (that's why I'm giving it a 3, in spite of not admiring the film), this is a well-made film, but I couldn't like the main plot enough to like the overall film.
3 out of 5
12 years a slave is simply mind blowing. & American Hustle I agreed with you. I only find amazing acting of Jeniffer Lawrence & Cristian Bale. The story is above the degree and not so interesting as expected.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you.
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