12 Years A Slave

I have an announcement. My friend and fellow blogger Bella Tubbs has challenged me to see all the films nominated for Best Picture before the Oscars. Nervously, I have accepted to do my best! With 34 days until the big night I've got four down and five to go, and what a list it is. High up in my current ranking was my cinema pick for last night; Steve McQueen's masterpiece, 12 Years A Slave.

Based on the unimaginable true story, the film tells of Solomon Northup, a New Yorker and freeman who lived a very successful and happy life with his wife and two children in the 1840s. That was until 1841, when he made a trip to Washington with two companions who offered him an opportunity to work as a violinist. In fact, his fellow travellers kidnapped and drugged Northup and, like far too many people of the time, sold him into slavery. Without his papers and with no way of contacting his friends and family in New York, Solomon was sent to the south where, struggling daily to survive, he remained for twelve whole years.

Apart from being an active member of the abolitionist movement and publishing a book of the same name in 1853, very little is known of Solomon Northup - even more reason why this film is so important. It paints a hideous picture of a brutal past, which I find hard to believe was a reality only 150 years ago.

Like I said in my review of August : Osage County, here's to the British actors (yes, for the sake of this blog I am claiming Fassbender!), who are the top three billed cast members in this film. How incredible is Chiwetel Ejiotor? From small TV and theatre beginnings to this potentially award winning performance. Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Fassbender play landowners who both own Northup at a time. William Ford (Cumberbatch) is caring, understanding, and true to his honour, whereas Edwin Epps (Fassbender) is everything but. I hope both men have their performances recognised, and a little something for the mantelpiece too...

There are many more recognisable faces in the film, including Paul Giamatti, Paul Danone, Sarah Paulson and a certain producer, Mr Brad Pitt. In her Hollywood debut, Lupita Nyong'o plays another of Epps' slaves, Patsy, and trust me, her performance will make your heart bleed. I know I've recently praised Julia Roberts but interestingly, Nyong'o is also up for Best Supporting Actress...

It's gritty and at times hard to watch, and be prepared with your hanky for the end. 12 Years A Slave - a landmark film of 2014.

OTHER 'A BIT OF WHAT I FANCY' BEST PICTURE REVIEWS :

- The Wolf Of Wall Street

- American Hustle

- Philomena

- Gravity

- Dallas Buyers Club

- Her

- Nebraska

August : Osage County

Brace yourself - Streep's at it again. Watch her reign as head of the most dysfunctional family you will ever meet, in August : Osage County.

In the opening scene we meet Mr and Mrs Weston (Sam Shepherd, Meryl Streep), interviewing for a live-in aide. At their early retirement age, they are in need of some help; Violet Weston's cancer diagnosis has led her to a pill addiction and sparked her husband's drinking, and with two of their three daughters now living in other states, the family home is, like the parents themselves, looking pretty abandoned. But all is about to change as soon an event will be bringing the whole clan back, and with more secrets and heartaches to be revealed, eldest daughter Barbara (Julia Roberts) must act as glue to hold the entire family together.

I know I must sound like a bit of a broken record, but this film really does have an incredible cast. Between them they have 5 Academy Awards, 3 Baftas, 12 Golden Globes and about a million nominations. That makes for pretty good family genes. Of course Meryl Streep is the star, as she is with every movie she bats an eyelid in, but for me, the film would be nothing without Julia Roberts. Barbara is good cop, she's bad cop, she's saint and she's sinner, and whilst she supports everyone around her, who's there to support her? The two actresses have incredible on-screen chemistry, as if they really have been mother and daughter for forty years. That's to be said of the three siblings too. Julianne Nicholson was a new face to me but her role was incredibly powerful, and I'm sorry, but even if I'm not supposed to like her, Juliette Lewis will always be great in my eyes.

Like so many films this movie season, I was SO pleased to see the Brit boys (Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch) holding their own against the Americans. Both gave excellent performances, and not an accent wobble in sight. When looking at Benedict Cumberbatch's awards list on the web, I'm shocked and stunned to see it full of nominations, and no big-whammy awards yet. Fingers crossed that's all about to change for him (although this year he was honoured by BAFTAs Los Angeles with a Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year - too bloody right!).

August : Osage County is quite often very funny (probably due to some exchanges between relatives being all too familiar...), but for me, this tragicomedy is certainly tragi-heavy. As the story progresses it becomes more bitter and bleaker, all coming to a climax at the extended dinner party scene that you may have seen on the ads and in interviews. Most of the audience were in hysterics as Roberts tackled Streep to the floor but personally, I found it all incredibly moving and hideously real. Addiction, death, disease, divorce, adultery, forbidden love and abandonment - not laughing matters, in my eyes.

I absolutely loved August : Orange County and am hugely surprised not to see it up for Best Picture. Still, I wish Streep and Roberts all the luck in the world for the big night. Yes, they've both been up on the acceptance podium before, but hey, two's company, right? (Or in Meryl's case, a potential FOURTH. That lady, what an award machine ;) )