Director Steve McQueen receiving intense Oscar buzz

Image courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

The first indication that Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave might be the signature movie of the year if not a defining film of the new millennium, was the strong buzz coming from the even most grizzled and cynical movie critics.
“A masterpiece.” … “Brilliant.” … “Oscar-worthy.”

These accolades began coming in at a steady drizzle after 12 Years a Slave made its debut at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado in August. But then the praise for McQueen’s soul-searching epic quickly intensified into a torrential downpour once the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September:

“Easily the greatest feature film ever made about American slavery,” wrote The New Yorker.

“Raw, eloquent, horrifying and essential,” claimed Time magazine.

“12 Years a Slave is a mesmerizing triumph of art and polemics,” said IndieWIRE.

When the credits rolled after journalists from around the country viewed the film at The Conrad in Lower Manhattan, they gave the blank movie screen a standing ovation. I had not seen that since Jennifer Hudson’s (eventual) Oscar-winning performance in Dreamgirls.

Get used to hearing McQueen’s name. Before he even began to make his first studio film (and third overall) with 12 Years a Slave, he had accrued such cachet and respect as a visionary, screenwriter and filmmaker that the opening sequence of his film Hunger was shown at New York University as an example of great filmmaking. And revered actress Alfre Woodard actually lobbied to work with McQueen on Shame, which she thought was the best movie of the year when it came out. Woodard barely allowed her agent to finish the question about possibly working with the 12 Years a Slave director before her response shot-putted out of her mouth with resolute force.

“Yes,” the regal Woodard recalled at the film’s press conference in Lower Manhattan.

“No,” the agent advised. “We have to send you the script first.”

“No,” Woodard shot back immediately and resolutely. “Just say ‘yes’ right now. I want to be a part of this film.”