FYC: 12 Years A Slave, Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender

This "For Your Consideration" series is my wishlist of sorts for the upcoming Oscar nominations. In anticipation of the final day of voting (January 8th), I will be posting daily FYC articles until that day. Each will focus on 3 separate Oscar categories, highlighting one film/film element per category that deserves consideration. Please note that these are not necessarily my favourites for each category. They are instead an assortment of memorable films/elements that were breakthroughs or surpassed my expectations. You'll notice that some of them are already in the awards conversation, while others are fringe contenders without much of a chance. Regardless, I believe they are all deserving of Oscar nominations based on the quality of their work.

Best Picture

12 Years A Slave

There's not much more to be said about Steve McQueen's landmark film "12 Years A Slave". Personally, it left me a blubbering mess when I screened it in October. Despite the hellish images on screen though, the film hasn't left my head space since. Apart from its emotional power, it's so bold in the way it tackles its difficult subject through cinema. There are so many unexpected details - the eloquent 18th century dialogue, the painterly cinematography, the stoicism of its protagonist and the complex portrayals of the black condition (Alfre Woodward's character for example). The title and story may indicate a traditional period piece, but the way Solomon's journey is presented is far from typical. "12 Years A Slave" is a daring, moving and vital document of human history.

Best Director

Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave

Steve McQueen is a stark visualist director and his uncompromising style is on full display in "12 Years A Slave". Yesterday I praised Sean Bobbitt's contribution to the film and much of that is due to McQueen's own visual ideas. Every scene has a purpose and I'm still trying to unpack the deeper meaning behind so many of them. The film's ensemble is amazing but at the end of the day the real star of the film is Steve McQueen himself. He's a shining example of the auteur theory and his work in creating this extraordinary film certainly merits an Oscar nomination come Thursday morning.

Best Supporting Actor

Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave

We all know that Michael Fassbender is a great actor but nothing could quite prepare me for this. He's disturbingly captivating as slavemaster Epps, giving depth to a fundamentally unlikable character. He's got this indescribable spark in his eye that let's you know that this was a real human being, not an exaggerated monster created for a movie. It's no easy task and Fassbender pulls it off to perfection. It's time for the Academy to acknowledge the brilliance of Michael Fassbender by finally nominating him for an Oscar.

Previous posts:
Best Cinematography, Best Actress, Best Actor
Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Production Design
Best Foreign Language Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Original Song
Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Visual Effects
Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing