Memoir-based '12 Years a Slave' is getting major Oscar buzz
The film 鈥�12 Years a Slave,鈥� based on the memoir by slave Solomon Northrup, is already getting major awards buzz as well as being presumed a frontrunner for the Oscar Best Picture prize.
The film follows Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free African American, as he is kidnapped, sold into slavery, and forced to work on various plantations in Louisiana. Northrup's memoir of the same name was released in 1853.
鈥�12 Years a Slave鈥� is directed by Steve McQueen and also stars 鈥淪tar Trek Into Darkness鈥� actor Benedict Cumberbatch and 鈥淧rometheus鈥� actor Michael Fassbender as slave owners as well as Lupita Nyong鈥檕 as a fellow slave on one of the plantations where Northrup works.
The movie will be released Oct. 18 in the US but was screened at this year鈥檚 Toronto Film Festival, where it captured the People鈥檚 Choice Award for best movie, considered the top prize. Monitor critic Peter Rainer found the film 鈥渁lternately searing and stilted鈥� but noted that 鈥渨ith extended sequences featuring whippings and welts, it鈥檚 a far cry from the goofball horrifics of 鈥楧jango Unchained鈥� or 鈥楳andingo.鈥欌�澛�
So far, the film has earned a 92 out of 100 average grade on the review aggregator , and after its win at the Toronto Film Festival, writer Catherine Shoard said of the Oscar race, 鈥淢cQueen's drama looks almost unbeatable, despite nearly six months to go until the Oscars ceremony.鈥�
writer Scott Feinberg called it the 鈥渇ilm to beat鈥� in the headline for his article on the movie and said its People鈥檚 Choice Award win is 鈥渁 major development in this year's Oscar race.鈥�
Does all this buzz ensure the film will win the big prize at this year鈥檚 Oscars? Plenty of movies have been considered early Best Picture frontrunners and then faded from voters鈥� minds by the time Oscar season rolled around. Awards show fans will also remember that last year鈥檚 Best Picture winner, 鈥淎rgo,鈥� missed out on most of the prizes before the Oscars, including the People鈥檚 Choice Award (which went to 鈥淪ilver Linings Playbook,鈥� a Best Picture nominee.) The 2011 People鈥檚 Choice Award winner was also not the same as the Best Picture winner. However, the People鈥檚 Choice and Best Picture winner did match up in 2010, 2008, and, a little farther back, in 1999.
In addition to discussion of Best Picture, critics have pointed to Ejiofor, Fassbender, and Nyong鈥檕 as possibilities for acting prizes and McQueen as a Best Director frontrunner.
Regardless, Ejiofor told he hopes audiences can simply enjoy the film without wondering about awards odds.
鈥淚 love the film," he said."I think it's a really strong piece of work. But I also want people to come to it without all the buzz and the hype and this and that. It's a story of a man going through an extraordinary circumstance. And I do feel it needs to be engaged with in its own quiet, reflective way.鈥�
