What a triumphant win for Steve McQueen, last night, for his “12 Years a Slave.” Let us hope that more black filmmakers will advance in their craft and career and reach their place in the sun some day, too (Lee Daniels and Ryan Coogler of “Fruitvale Station” have been leading the charge). The international film industry is rather too homogeneous, color-wise, so last night’s mega-win for the ... more >
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12 YEARS A SLAVE CROWNED AT ACADEMY AWARDS

12 Years a slave
Among movies about race in America, how many great films have been made about slavery? We’ve seen gentle drivers ("Driving Miss Daisy"), sisterhoods of maids ("The Help") and pizza places going up in smoke for our sins ("Do the Right Thing"). Most of these films focus on the sixties or the modern day. Even Lincoln barely touches on slavery as more than legal theory. This enormous, shocking gap ... more >

BRAVO TIFF
Film excellence at the Toronto International Film Festival which ended Sunday was on full display, reminding us why cinema is also called the seventh art, a qualifier a critic can’t always use nowadays. British director Steve McQueen’s superb “12 Years a Slave” which won the prestigious audience award is already a front-runner contender for an Academy Award. Other great films were Geoffrey ... more >