MY BEST STUFF OF THE YEAR

Hey all! 2013 was a DAMN good year....for MANY things, and not just movies. Today, I want to do something different, instead of just recognizing movies I want to take the time to recognize everything I thought was GREAT about 2013, so without further ado LET'S DO THIS!

We start with music.

 One band made their grand re-entrance into the music scene this year. Fall Out Boy is finally back after a lengthy hiatus. They're back, they're angry, and they mean to start a revolution with their new album Save Rock N Roll. Amazingly, I love just about every single song on Save Rock N Roll. I'd go so far as to say new Fall Out Boy is better than old Fall Out Boy. The kings have returned, and they are better than ever.

As for best song, I can't choose just one....BUT I can list several of my favorites. This Is What It Feels Like by Armin van Buuren
Wake Me Up by Avicci
The Man by Aloe Blac
 I Could Be The One by Avicci and Nicky Romero,
Pompeii by Bastille
Locked Out Of Heaven by Bruno Mars
Treasure by Bruno Mars
 Safe and Sound by Capital Cities
 Counting Stars by One Republic
 Get Lucky by Daft Punk
 The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy,
My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark by Fall Out Boy
 Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy
Young Volcanoes by Fall Out Boy
Save Rock and Roll by Fall Out Boy
Like A Lie by Jetski Safari (Feenixpawl Remix)
 Suit and Tie by Justin Timberlake
 Only When I Walk Away by Justin Timberlake
 Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe by Kendrick Lamar
Swimming Pools (Drank) by Kendrick Lamar
 Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Ray
 Royals by Lorde
 Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
 Can't Hold Us by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
 Wing$ by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
 White Walls by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
 Let Her Go by Passenger
Ode To Sleep by Twenty One Pilots
Holding Onto You by Twenty One Pilots
 Migraine by Twenty One Pilots
 House of Gold by Twenty One Pilots
 Semi-Automatic by Twenty One Pilots
 The Run and Go by Twenty One Pilots
 Guns For Hands by Twenty One Pilots,
 Stay The Night ( Featuring Hayley Williams) by Zedd
Clarity by Zed

NOW, onto VIDEO GAMES!!

I didn't play many video games in 2013, but there was one game that hooked me just about instantly. I spent a great deal of my second semester of senior year playing this game after school with my friends. What game am I talking about? Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. I've never been big into Assassin's Creed, but this game changed my mind. In it, you get to play as Edward Kenway, a bastardly pirate who only cares about himself and making money (He naturally learns a few lessons here). After an Assassin attacks his ship, sinking it they both wash on shore an island where Edward kills him and assumes his identity thereafter getting entangled in between the Assassins and The Knights Templar in a race to find a mystical place called The Observatory. The game is brutal, violent, bloody fun and I LOVE IT! I've never had so much fun slaughtering droves of baddies. You also get to command your own ship, wage naval battles, hunt sharks, orcas and whales, loot sunken ships, attack forts, and even fight a ghost ship.  It feels good to play a lovable bastard, and naturally it's fun to be as bad and pirate-ly as you can. In my opinion, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag is easily my favorite game of 2013.


THEME PARKS

Universal Studios Orlando has been on a roll for quite some time now. Their new Springfield land (home of The Simpsons) is beautifully realized and has some of the best theme park food I have ever tasted (would HIGHLY recommend the Brain Freezin D'Oh-Nut Sundae and the Bumblebee man's Taco Truck). Universal just keeps rolling out their hits, and in 2013 they opened what is easily ride of the year- Transformers: The Ride 3-D, an immersive experience where you get to join the elite ranks of N.E.S.T as you are charged with protecting the All-Spark from the Decepticons and are thrust right into the heart of chaotic battle. Your head will spin, your jaw will drop, and you will scream with joy again and again and again. It's one of the best rides I have ever been on (as of right now, it's my personal favorite ride), the technology used to bring it to vivid life is unlike anything I have ever seen (Really feels like you are traveling into the screens), and the history behind the construction of the ride is quite amazing (one of the shortest build times for any theme park, and the end product is still of a superb, high-end quality). While Universal might not have beat Disney in attendance records it, it already has in terms of pure quality and Transformers is a fantastic addition to their already impressive ride roster.

With all that business out of the way, it's time for MY BEST FILMS OF 2013!!! BUT FIRST......some-

HONORABLE MENTIONS

SPECTACULAR NOW-Notable for it's dark, sad and mature ending. One of the better coming of age films I've seen that is enhanced via the presence of Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley (easily two of my favorite up-and-comers).

ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW- Not a great film, but it is certainly creative and dark. It's quite unlike anything you have ever seen before, and how often can you say that about any film these days?

ROOM 237-A twisty, intricate, and headache inducing trip down a never-ending rabbit hole. A film both about the many levels of The Shining, and about obsession and film fans.

THE HISTORY OF FUTURE FOLK-One of the sweetest films of 2013. A film about the saving power of earth music.

IRON MAN 3-A great action film and the best iron Man film so far. You Gotta love the Mark 42 Suit.

THE CONJURING-One of the better horror films of 2013, but not the best.

FROZEN-A fantastic Disney animated musical (that's now making it's way onto Broadway!)

SIDE EFFECTS-The last directorial film from Steven Soderberg was a great homage to Hitchcock.

MANIAC- Words can not describe HOW INCREDIBLY CLOSE this film came to making it onto the best of 2013 list. Why? BECAUSE IT WAS THE BEST DAMN HORROR/SLASHER FILM OF 2013 (SUCK IT CONJURING!). The gimmick of watching the whole film from the killer's pov is a fascinating one that surprisingly does not not grow old, the acting is top notch (with Elijah Wood making for a great serial killer), and the story itself is just great. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

PLUS ONE- Another film that came incredibly close to making it onto the best films of 2013 list, this time because not only was it the best sci-fi film of the year, but BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST SCI-FI FILM SINCE DISTRICT 9 (I KNOW, BIG WORDS). Rhys Wakefield is superb as our main character here. The film itself is bizarre, fun, different and it's got something to say about fear and how far one would go for a second chance. It doesn't play out at all how you would expect it to, and there are quite a few surprises (and bare breasts) here. Another film that is HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.



NOW, onto THE 10 BEST FILMS OF 2013!

10. SPRING BREAKERS- Another film about young people doing bad things to fuel their version of The American Dream. When I first saw this film in theaters, I loved it and looking back at the year I am just as surprised as all of you that it is making it onto my BEST OF list....but it really is one great film. It's got style, substance, violence, nudity, and many different levels to it. I can completely understand why some HATE this film, if you can't get past the surface level of this film (which is all sex, nudity, parties, bikinis, drugs, grittiness, and violence) then you won't like the film. Spring Breakers is certainly quite divisive, but I fall into the cap of those who unabashedly LOVE this film. The colors used in the film are gorgeous, some of the settings are beautifully surreal and otherworldly, and the film itself does indeed have a few messages hidden inside. Spring Breakers is candy for the eyes and ears, and food for the mind as well. It's a perfect package.

9. PAIN AND GAIN- That's right, a Michael Bay film actually made it onto my best of list (I just checked, pigs still can't fly yet and no, the apocalypse doesn't appear to have started). This TRUE STORY is handled very comedically by Michael Bay, although it really wasn't all that funny in real life (obviously). The film has got fantastic performances from Mark Whalberg, Anthony Mackie, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (in what is easily his best role to date). Surprisingly, the film does make it clear that these are bad, evil people and not once are we encouraged to root them on. Pain and Gain is about young people doing bad things to fuel their version of The American Dream, it just so happens to be one of the funniest films of 2013 as well.

8. PRISONERS- A powerful, suspenseful, and even scary film. It's also ultra-dark, pretty depressing and quite disturbing.  Everyone in the film is turned into a prisoner of some sort when two young children go missing. As the days drag on and the only suspect is released, things begin to look grim. While detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) does everything in his power to find the children, the father of one them (Hugh Jackman) grows desperate and turns to monstrous acts in an attempt to locate them. Both lead actors put on superb performances (Hugh Jackman is impressive, but I was really blown away by Gyllenhaal here. It's been a while since I've seen him put on so strong of a performance in such a great film). The film itself is indeed quite grim, and it's full of twists and turns so that by the time the final minutes roll around you really won't know how it all will turn out, and it's this that keeps you on the very edge of your seat as you wait to see how it all wraps up. Prisoners is certainly a trek to get through, but it is still one great film.

7.  THE GREAT GATSBY- The Great Gatsby is most certainly Luhrmann's best film to date. In his hands, Gatsby remains a seething condemnation of the excess of the roaring '20's (and in a strange way the excess of today) although Luhrmann naturally gets caught up in it all. Gatsby manages to emerge as Luhrmann's own film while at the same time staying a fairly faithful adaptation of the beloved great American novel. Unlike Luhrmann's other films, The Great Gatsby is NOT all style, there is a good amount of substance here and it is exactly that that elevates this film far above his others.

6. SHORT TERM 12- A film I bet most of you haven't heard of. It's an independent film about social workers at a facility for troubled teens. The main theme here seems to be that everyone is a little messed up. Brie Larson is great and beautiful here as the lead (probably the best role I've seen her in), and John Gallagher Jr is fantastic as her boyfriend. All the kids also do standout jobs (mainly Kaitlyn Dever, Kevin Hernandez, and Keith Stanfield). It's a somewhat touching film, although it is a bit uneven and kind of rough to watch but I liked how real it was.

5. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS- An amazing film. Tom Hanks puts on a superb performance as Captain Richard Phillips, who finds himself trapped in a hellish situation when his ship is boarded by Somali pirates and he is taken hostage aboard a small lifeboat as they attempt to escape. With the Navy and the U.S. Seals fast approaching and the pirates being stubborn bastards, it would seem that there is a good chance no one in the lifeboat is going to make it out alive. The best part of the film is the last 50  minutes where the intensity is upped to an insane level. Most of the film is good, but it's during these last 50 minutes where the film becomes great. It's best if you walk in unaware of the final outcome of the events, it makes the viewing experience that much more rewarding.

4. NEBRASKA- Have I said that Alexander Payne is one of my favorite directors? Nebraska is a film about Woody (Bruce Dern), a confused and senile old man who believes he has won one million dollars when he receives a scam letter in the mail. Determined to get his million, he talks one of his sons, David (Will Forte), into driving him from Montana to Nebraska so he can receive his winnings. The film is indeed pretty sad, but is hilarious for a good portion of it's run time. Will Forte and Bruce Dern make for one of the best comedic duos I've seen in a while (easily Will Forte's best role to date), and June Squibb is a riot as Woody's much put upon wife. Bruce Dern's antics and Will Forte's reluctant cleaning up of his dad's messes made for mucho good times. It's not very complex, and it does drag at odd points but overall  Nebraska is another fantastic, enjoyable outing from Alexander Payne.

3. 12 YEARS A SLAVE- Not just a great film, but an important one as well. It's graphic, brutal, and hard to watch but it is still required viewing. I don't know what else I can really add here, except to say that if you want to see how slavery really was, this is the film you should see. It's tragic, sad, and heartbreaking and it's well acted by it's entire cast.

2. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET- You ready? Yet ANOTHER film about young people doing bad things to fuel their version of The American Dream. Leonardo Dicaprio, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie are all fantastic here (with Dicaprio and Hill putting on career best performances). It's absolutely hilarious, the script is superb, the acting is tops, the story is great, and while it is almost three hours long the film for the most part whizzes by. It's fun, decadent, and depraved. Martin Scorsese keeps churning out hits, and I hope he never stops. Wolf of Wall Street is THE BEST comedy of 2013.

1. HER- That's right, the movie about the man who falls in love with his operating system got the number 1 spot on my best of list. Surprisingly, it's really not silly and the relationship between the two is handled in such a way that you actually buy them as a real couple (amazing, right). It is a sad, but real look at modern relationships, the future of technology, and the fragility of the human heart and the need to love and be loved. Joaquin Phoenix is great here, and Scarlett Johansson amazes with just her voice, conveying a full range of emotions. She is a fully fleshed out character (A damn shame she wasn't nominated for Best Actress). Her is probably Spike Jonze's best film so far (his screenplay for the film is great as well). Her is a film that will get you thinking about relationships you have previously held or are currently engaged in, and it will raise a healthy discussion about the future of human society, culture, technology, and dating. It's the best surprise of 2013, and easily what I consider to be THE BEST film of 2013.


So, there you have it. My best films of 2013 list, along with some other goodies thrown in for good measure. I hope you enjoyed reading this list, because I sure enjoyed making it and took my time researching for it and viewing the proper films. 2013 was indeed a DAMN good year for film, and I'm hoping (despite a serious case of sequel-itis) that 2014 will be just as good if not better. Till then, thank you for reading my list and I'll see YOU on Oscar night!

SMALLS' WORST OF 2013-UPDATED

Yes, that's right folks! With awards season already begun, I figure it's time for me to roll out my WORST FILMS OF 2013 LIST! Now, a word of caution. Some films, like Movie 43 and InAPPropiate Comedy for example, will not be on the list because I did not see them. You see, I tend to try and avoid bad films because I don't like to subject myself to unnecessary pain, so these are the films that I somehow stumbled into and wound up all the worse for it.



10. Bling Ring- I love the new some-what trend of films about young people doing bad things in order to fuel what they consider to be The American Dream. I had high hopes for The Bling Ring, unfortunately the film was ridiculously bland, boring, dull, uninteresting, it wasn't creative, it wasn't engaging, and it certainly wasn't fun. Not even a pretty good performance from Emma Watson could save this film. It's another film that had potential to be something great, but ultimately it just couldn't deliver. Another strike from Sophia Coppola.

9. Star Trek Into Darkness- Some films I take great joy in ripping to pieces. This is one of those films.   There was barely any plot to this film, instead we got more of a sequence of events. The film tried to be edgy and dark, and it tried to explore themes of becoming a monster to fight monsters but it never pulls any of this off all that well. What we are left with is a half-baked sequel that that succeeds in it's action scenes and cinematography but fails just about everywhere else. It also doesn't help that J.J. Abrams essentially lied his ass off yet again since Benedict Cumberbatch (easily THE BEST thing about this film) does indeed play Kahn and the film itself is essentially Wrath of Kahn 2.0 with a few minor twists to the story. If this is the best J.J. can do when attempting to do his own version of an iconic tale, then I am deeply worried about Star Wars.

8. The Lone Ranger- Disney's attempt at making another blockbuster franchise fails. Armie Hammer is a completely unlikeable whiny wimp, and Johnny Depp is surprisingly the best thing about this film even though he puts on a somewhat toned down version of his wacky schtick. The film is long, slow and plodding, and there isn't much action save for the very beginning and the very end. It was way too wacky, silly, and goofy for my tastes, not to mention it had some serious dark parts that offset the overall tone of the film. Three words that perfectly sum up Lone Ranger? What A Mess!


7. Insidious Chapter 2- This film is incredibly silly, stupid, and campy. The script is of a fairly poor quality. I do appreciate that it explains what we saw occur at the end of the first film, but everything else about this film is just not good. Insidious Chapter 2 tries to wrap up all the loose ends from the first film, but does so in an exceedingly clumsy manner so that it gets caught in its own strings. It does try to be scary, atmospheric and creepy but fails in large part due to a misplaced and failed attempt at humor. It's a large step down from it's predecessor. As a cheesy/campy 80s B horror film it is fun, but as a serious and scary horror film (you know, what it billed itself to be) Insidious Chapter 2  is a disappointment.

6.  The Lords of Salem- Another terrible outing from Rob Zombie. The film is certainly interesting, and will keep you watching out of sheer WTF-ness. That said, it's not good. The cinematography is great, and Bruce Davison, Ken Foree, Jeff Daniel Philips, Judy Geeson, Patricia Quinn, and Dee Wallace all do standup jobs with the roles they are given. Sheri-Moon attempts to act, but I just didn't care for her character here. The film is full of bizarre, hallucinatory, and nightmarish imagery and pretty decently replicates the atmosphere and vibe of a 70's horror flick. Heck, its idea of music being used to do Satan's bidding and of a coven disguising itself as an indie band are actually pretty neat ones (though they are both never fully explored and are more of a way to get the weird activities going. Also, not much story here and it leaves a lot of hanging plot threads and some character's arcs go nowhere, I'm looking at you Whitey). The worst part by far is the last 15-20 minutes. Like most Zombie films, this one is dark and mean. Lords of Salem is decidedly disturbing and not fun. The bottom line is this: Rob Zombie needs to stop making movies.

5. Only God Forgives- I was seriously looking forward to this film, and man was I disappointed with what I saw. It is a weak and unrewarding effort from Nicholas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling. It's brutal, violent, even more quiet than Drive was, it's score is pretty, and the visual artistry is beautiful but it is also supremely hard to follow, confusing, and it doesn't seem to make much sense. Oh, and Ryan Gosling barely fights at all in this film. It's a huge disappointment that does nothing but make me hold Drive all the closer to my chest.

4. A Good Day To Die Hard- I've said pretty much all I can say about this film in my previous review, so I'll try to quickly summarize my thoughts. It's ok if you want to try and make a video game movie, but don't do it with Die Hard. Yes, once again this is a REALLY bad film. If you are a fan of Die Hard this film is just about guaranteed to make you red. If they changed the characters names and the title of the film, maybe I would have gotten some enjoyment out of it, but because it bills itself as part of the Die Hard franchise I just couldn't get into it. It's also painfully clear no one who worked on this film gave a damn about what they were making (except maybe the visual effects guys, I will give the film this much the action scenes are pretty good). I WISH I was on vacation.

3.. RIPD- That's right, this film was WAY WAY worse than Die Hard 5. It's pretty rare for a film to end up being way worse than I thought it would be, but RIPD is exactly that. The film desperately wants to be the next MIB, but it's not clever or funny, the scripting is weak, the CGI is very bad, the acting is poor (yes, even Jeff bridges sucks in this),  the plotting and pacing are off, and the film is very obvious in the ways it goes about trying to steal from MIB. RIPD was an unimaginative, uninspired, derivative flop. How else can say it, RIPD is a terrible film, it SUCKS! 

2. After Earth- Will Smith's desperate attempt to make his son into a legitimate movie star/action star fails spectacularly. It's dull, it's boring, the script is awful, the acting is atrocious and the visual effects never really dazzle. In After Earth, Jaden is a whiny pansy that grates on your nerves, and Will Smith is a stoic, emotionless military commander.  While M. Night Shyamalan should bear a good deal of the responsibility for this abomination of a film, most of the blame falls squarely on Will Smith's shoulders. This film was his idea, and he personally hired M. Night Shyamalan to direct. In the end, After earth is an uphill struggle, and after watching the film you're sure to feel like you just went through a battle. I left the film exhausted and tired, and for good reason. Just stay away from this one, it's not even worth a peek for morbid curiosity's sake alone. After Earth is an aborted fetus that should have stayed aborted.

1. Grown Ups 2-It's going to take a lot of therapy to erase the emotional scars this film gave me. There is ZERO PLOT (we start out with Sandler's family and friends already having moved to his hometown, and the rest of the film is just following him and his friends as they cause trouble....it's basically a bunch of random unfunny sketches and gags), no characters or character development, and there are only maybe 5 or 6 funny moments in the film. It's easily the longest hour 41 minutes you will ever have to sit through (the film just WILL NOT END!). It's a downright insulting film (to your intelligence, your money and your time). It's absolute torture. I eagerly await the day when Adam Sandler retires from film making.


Well, that took a lot out of me. Despite this list, 2013 was still a great year for film and I'll explain why in my BEST OF list which should be up eventually (just a few more films I have to see). Till then, try to survive January and I'll see you all soon-ish.

SMALLS SAYS HER IS A PHENOMENAL FILM

The first words that came to my mind after seeing Her were Damn and Wow. There are so many great things about this film I just don't know where to begin.

Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), A lonely heartbroken ghost writer, downloads the latest new technology, an artificially intelligent operating system that is customized to fit the personality of its user. She names herself Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). He begins to fall in love with her and together, they go through the usual ups and downs that any normal relationship would go through as both evolve in their own different and unique ways.

Surprisingly, Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson have amazing chemistry together (even though Phoenix never once heard Scarlett's voice while filming was going on, he was reacting to Samantha Morton's voice who was replaced by Scarlett in post production). The film does a fantastic job at creating a discussion on human/computer dating and on the future and just relationships in general. While I did find it weird, I'm not ashamed to say I completely bought Theodore's and Samantha's relationship and was actually rooting for them (they even share a steamy, albeit a bit awkward sex scene). Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson put on superb performances here, I can't say one was better than the other. They both worked together to create something beautiful. I would love it if they were both nominated for Best Actor/Actress (While we're at it why not give Spike Jonze a nom for Best Director too), especially since Scarlett really impresses using nothing but her voice (it's got to be her most challenging role yet. She effectively conveys a full range of emotions and convinces you she is quite human. You are completely charmed by her character and her voice. It's really hard not to fall in love with her yourself).

The color palate and aesthetics of the film are fantastic as well. The film is set sometime in the near future, and the office Theodore works in is quite beautiful even though the job he holds is a bit depressing (he seems to make a good deal of money though because he owns a sweet pad in a hotel). The video games him and others play in the film also wow a good deal and offer some fun moments of surprising humor (Jonze himself makes a memorable voice cameo as a cute, foul mouthed game character that steals every scene he's in).  More than anything though, Jonze's version of the near future is a believable one. I could see this as where we could likely end up (in fact, with how absorbed everyone is in technology now I wouldn't be surprised if people did start to date their Operating Systems if they ever did become intelligent).

There are also some great supporting performances from Amy Adams and Chris Pratt, both of whom play co-workers of Theodore's. Adams looks positively dorky and normal here (it's surreal to see her in American Hustle and then to watch her performance in here, she's so different in each), and Chris Pratt is fairly memorable and funny.

Her is probably the greatest surprise of 2013. It's a film that's got a little bit of everything in it. From humor, to feel good moments, to heartache, to sadness, to tragedy, to love, and beyond. Her is bound to create a good, healthy discussion about the future and technology while at the same time getting audiences to think about their own lives and relationships they have held or are currently engaged in. It's a fantastic, amazing film that is surprisingly complex and very intellectual (I was constantly thinking while I watched it). I absolutely loved it and have no problem naming it my personal favorite (and best) film of 2013.

5 STARS

Fun Fact: Arcade Fire did the score for the film.

12 YEARS A SLAVE WILL BLOW YOU AWAY

12 Years A Slave is the latest film from Steve McQueen. The film has been getting a lot of hype now that awards season is upon us. The question though, is that does the film earn the hype?

In 12 Years A Slave, A free African-American named Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is tricked into slavery where he remains in servitude for 12 grueling years. During his journey he meets kind slave owner Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his bastard of a helper Tibeats (Paul Dano), evil slave master Edwin Eps (Michael Fassbender), and kind hearted carpenter Bass (Brad Pitt).

The film is certainly no easy task to sit through (I had to take a break around the half-way point). The whole film is basically non-stop torture of slaves, and it's a task to sit through the whole thing....it really starts to wear you down after a while. What makes it all the more difficult is watching as Solomon's faith, hope and indeed his very soul begin to crumble. No one can deny that this is a challenging film.

Steve McQueen assembled a top notch cast for his film, including Paul Dano, who is a great bastard, Michael Fassbender, who is a shoo in for best supporting actor as the despicable slave master who rules his "property" through fear and brutality (you really hate his character),  Paul Giamatti, who isn't in the film for long as a mean slave trader, Brad Pitt, who is pretty good as the kind carpenter, Benedict Cumberbatch, who is great as the kind slave owner, Lupita Nyon'O is emotionally raw and real as Patsy, and Chiwetel Ejiofor is superb as the star of the film. He will most likely win best actor this year, and he deserves it. he really wows. The whole ensemble is super talented and all put on great performances.

12 Years A Slave will likely sweep a good deal of the awards this year (Best actor, best supporting actor, best director, most likely best film as well), and I think it kind of deserves to. The film turns slavery into a terrifying horror story, bringing it into vivid, graphic life. You've never seen slavery depicted in this way before, and this portrayal will most likely stick with you for a very long time. You'll never look at slavery the same way again. Steve McQueen is to be commended for his work here, he didn't just make a great film, he made an important film and how often can you say that?

5 STARS