Back in the pilot, Coach gave an episode-ending speech that contained the words “We will all fall”. It’s a simple and honest sentence, but it contains the weight of every Dillon Panther that falls in this championship game. It’s devastating and reassuring all at once, and it applies perfectly here. Yet, for every person that falls, there’s another to take its place: that same person. Matt, Lyla, Tim, and Tyra are all heading off to college, but each is both leaving something behind and taking something from Dillon.
NO BLACK WOMEN IN OUR CAST: I’m not sure what to say about this. It’s hilarious watching SNL acknowledge its lack of black women (although come on, what about the other ethnicities? Get on that, SNL, please), but there isn’t much to the sketch. Still, Washington does great and Al Sharpton’s observation that “We have learned nothing.” is funny. GRADE: B
COLD OPEN: This isn’t all that funny, and Kenan Thompson covered in blood didn’t go to the places it could’ve. Bayer saying “da club” is funny, but there isn’t anything great about the monologue; it’s short, so that’s good. GRADE: C+
CAREER WEEK: This is nothing special, but it’s enjoyable enough; it’s also great to have Pedrad in a more starring role. The sound effects are really, really stupid, and Pedrad isn’t able to make them work; still, Washington is really great. “Respect my ability to assess a bucket!” GRADE: C+
WHAT DOES MY GIRL SAY?: This is absolute perfection. It perfectly details how many relationships go, as well as tells a story in just a few minutes. The song is catchy, Pharoah and Washington are brilliant, and it really goes to show you just how fantastic SNL pre-recorded segments are. GRADE: A
HOW’S HE DOING?: When this sketch started, I was expecting a bunch of black jokes and nothing more; instead, it turned into something so delightfully weird that I loved it at the end. Thompson, Washington, and Pharoah are all great here, and there are some truly hilarious moments. “What I wouldn’t give to get a white person’s mail for a day? Nothing but pre-approved credit cards and a Pottery Barn catalog!” Also, although “The Wire” references are tired, the sketch makes it something new with Thompson’s anger at TV recappers. I guess he’s mad at me. GRADE: A-
MISS UNIVERSE: Okay, so this is offensive, but it’s hilarious. Each woman was hilarious, and the best thing is that each one isn’t overplayed. Each has one fantastic “joke”, and it’s great. Miss Bolivia is fantastic (a good make out is always welcome), and Aidy Bryant knocking someone out is a fantastic sight gag. GRADE: B+
WEEKEND UPDATE: (More on Eminem later): Wow, this show is on a groove. Kate McKinnon is always a treat, and she’s perfect as Chancellor Angela Merkel, who’s not just a Chancellor, but a woman looking for anything to seem regular. As for O’Neal and Barkley…oh man, this is great. Pharoah’s (who’s been on fire tonight) eyes are already perfection, and everything that comes out of his mouth is comedy gold. Also, the news jokes are great, and I’m happy Strong got to interact with a guest. GRADE: A-
CARTOON CATCHPHRASE: This sketch got unfunny quick; it was very clear where the sketch was going right off the bat, and by the time we got to the third “Duane”, it was pretty bad. There are some funny moments in there, but overall, it’s a dud after a string of fantastic sketches. GRADE: C
PRINCIPAL FRYE: This sketch should really be retired; it’s good enough for some funny reaction shots, but it’s feeling tired now. Miss Cherry is alright and the gym coach is unfunny, and Pharoah is average here. I did like “The shark is crossing things off his to-do list.” GRADE: C+
EMINEM: I’ve listened to MMLP2, and there are some fantastic songs on there intermingled with some average ones. However, he sadly isn’t the best here; songs like “Rap God” and “Bad Guy” show off more of his range, but it’s unsurprising that he’d go with the more radio-friendly songs. I like Eminem, but the music drowns him out here and his flow isn’t up to his usual standards. GRADE: B-
DATE OR DISS: Okay, so there are some good MTV digs here, but all this amounts to is a bunch of sexual innuendo that isn’t all that funny. It’s pretty choppy and awkward, and hopefully we end the night better. GRADE: C
ICE CREAM: It’s not perfect, but it’s a good enough finisher. It’s an interesting premise, and while it isn’t uproariously funny, its dreamlike qualities are intriguing enough that I liked it. Not the best pre-recorded sketch, but still good. GRADE: B+
OVERALL: B+
BEST SKETCH: What Does My Girl Say?
WORST SKETCH: CARTOON CATCHPHRASE/DATE OR DISS
FINAL THOUGHTS: Kerry Washington bursts onto the SNL scene here with a couple fantastic performances right off the bat; she recedes a bit as the episode progresses, but she’s still great. Although I think the show relies too much on the racial humor here, it’s still prime for some hilarious sketches; Jay Pharoah is the MVP here.
Credit to NBC and Saturday Night Live for all pictures. I own nothing.
“I’ve had a difficult time these last several years.”
This is what true horror feels like. Steve McQueen’s brilliant take on slavery is brilliant because it’s a realistic take on it, portraying the true horrors of the slaves and the masters shackled by an institution, one which is unrelenting, unforgiving, and unfathomable. Anchored by masterful performances all around, the film is, much deserving, an Oscar treasure trove.
Speaking of Oscars, one might compare this to last year’s Tarantino epic Django Unchained, a fantastic film in its own right. Whereas that film was an idealistic, revenge fantasy, this one is realistic and brutal. Both of these movies are necessary in their own ways. Now, one might ask, “What’s the point of seeing yet another slavery film? We get it; slavery was horrible.” It’s certainly a valid question, but then again, this is a point in our history that has actually not been explored to its full extent. This film is necessary, if only to reinforce our previous notions of the atrocities committed during those times.
Still, necessary or not, it’s still an, ironically, beautiful film. McQueen’s direction is full of lush, gorgeous imagery as a backdrop to the horrors of slave life, and the camera lingers just as much on the beautiful as it does the brutal. In one of the film’s most shocking scenes, Northup/Platt is strung up by a rope, his feet barely touching the ground. What makes this scene particularly chilling is the background; as we hear Northup’s choking sounds, we also see a green background of other slaves going about their business. No other scene sums up better the true isolation of slaves in a crowd environment.
Of course, it’s not just Northup here. McQueen deftly explores the relationships that take place in the master’s home, not portraying any slaveowner as too kind or too evil. Yes, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Ford recognizes his true capabilities, but he’s just as shackled to the institution as the slaves; he’s forced to give up Northup to cut his losses. The fact that this is all instigated by Paul Dano’s vile Tibeats only serves to support the idea of men warped by the horrors of slavery, as Tibeats is a symbol of the shocking, seemingly unrealistic depths of the time. After this, we are introduced to the wonderful Michael Fassbender’s Epps, a slaveowner stripped of all moral integrity by lust and desire for power. The dynamic between him and his wife (Sarah Paulson) reflects the tension, jealousy, and brutality of the relationship extremely well. No other relationship is more horrifying, though, then Epps and Patsey’s. In a breakout performance, Lupita Nyong’o brilliantly portrays a woman not only subjected to slavery, but subjected to the dark sexual desires of a delusional maniac. The scene in which she asks Solomon to end her life is a masterpiece of acting, and the scene in which Solomon is forced to whip her is the culmination of all the horrors of the movie.
At the beating heart of it all, though, is Chiwetel Ejiofor in a role of a lifetime. He’s magnificent in every scene, whether it be in the dialogue free, lingering shot of his contemplation near the end or his interactions with Patsey. Solomon’s journey is one of a man that slowly loses hope even as he tries to keep it. He starts out as a respectable man, then is beaten and kidnapped. He keeps that hope, though, telling others that it must have all been a mistake. Then he’s taken on a ship, and his fellow slaves tell him to keep quiet and that all hope is lost. However, once he’s taken to Ford, his life starts to improve, and he tells a woman who’s lost her kids to soldier on; yet, she tells him that there’s no point. Solomon truly sees this when he’s thrown into the pit of horror that is Epps’ plantation, yet he still tries to get a white man (Garrett Dillahunt) to deliver a letter for him. That hope is crushed when Epps finds out. By the time we make our way to the end of the movie, we’ve made our way through so many reversals of fortune that even when he’s rescued, nothing feels right anymore. Did he even have hope all this time?
It is because of this that Brad Pitt’s cameo works. His is the final in a lineup of amazing actors and actresses, including Alfre Woodard, Michael K. Williams, and Paul Giamatti, and it certainly is the most distracting. Yet, it’s so surreal that it doesn’t feel triumphant when Solomon returns home. It’s a final scene of love, but it’s also a scene of uncertainty. Solomon Northup has come a long way from being Solomon Northup; he’s reunited with his family, but he’s always been Platt.
GRADE: A
Credit to FOX Searchlight Pictures and 12 Years A Slave for all pictures. I own nothing.
“Gentlemen, you are champions.”
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