March 5, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • Page 19 Brutal tale of endurance available for home viewing by Dennis Seuling “Twelve Years a Slave” (20th Cen- tury-Fox) is the story of a pre-Civil War free black man, an educated and talented violinist living in New York, who is kid- napped and sent to the South where he is enslaved for a dozen years. The man is Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who is passed from one owner to the next. He witnesses, and is the subject of, unspeak- able inhumanities. His primary goal is sur- vival, as he never gives up hope of one day reuniting with his family. Director Steve McQueen has based the film on the real Northup’s memoir of the same name. To the white slavers and owners, he is mere property purchased for cash, and expected to work at whatever he is told. Ejiofor gives a breakout performance as Northup. This is a tough role, demanding a range of emotion with little or no dialogue. Viewers can read Solomon’s thoughts, even see into his soul as one horror after another presents itself and he must navi- gate through them to live one more day. The excellent supporting cast includes Michael Fassbender and Benedict Cum- berbatch as plantation owners, Paul Dano as a cruel overseer, Sarah Paulson as a jealous plantation wife, Alfre Woodard as a slave who has escaped the whip and made a comfortable place for herself as mistress to her owner, Paul Giamatti as a slave salesman, newcomer Lupita Nyong’o as the slave mistress of a plantation owner, and producer Brad Pitt in a small but cru- cial role. One of the best pictures of the year, “Twelve Years a Slave,” with almost matter-of-fact objectivity, personalizes the cruelty of the slave experience in America. Although tough to take, it is exceptional movie making. It received nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Best Direc- tor (Steve McQueen), and Best Adapted Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o, and Chiwetel Ejiofor in a scene from “Twelve Years a Slave.” All three have received Oscar nominations for this film. Screenplay. Blu-ray extras include a his- torical overview of the period and fea- turettes on the musical score and the team who got the project to the screen. “Tess” (The Criterion Collection) is Roman Polanski’s adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the d’Urbervilles,” star- ring Nastassja Kinski in the title role. A rural clergyman in 19th-century England tells Durbeyfield (John Collin), a simple farmer, that he is descended from the illus- trious d’Urberville family. Skeptical, Dur- beyfield sends his daughter, Tess, to check on a family named d’Urberville living in a manor house less than a day’s carriage ride away. Alec d’Urberville (Leigh Lawson) is delighted with his beautiful “cousin” and seduces her with strawberries and roses. It is later revealed that Alec’s family mem- bers are merely an opportunistic lot who bought the d’Urberville name to improve their station in life. Under Polanski’s direction, the film is given a sumptuous look, rich in period detail and beautifully photographed. He manages to hold viewers’ attention for nearly three hours. Kinski, looking like a young Ingrid Bergman, is strikingly beau- tiful. Polanski uses her well, limiting her dialogue and having his camera linger on her expressive face. The director and co- writer Gerard Brach adapted the novel effectively, surrounding Tess with the atti- tudes of her time, attitudes that explain how restricted her behavior must be and how society looks upon her genuine emo- tions as inappropriate. Bonus features on the dual-format Blu- ray/DVD edition include “Once Upon a Time…Tess,” a 2006 documentary; three behind-the-scenes featurettes; an inter- view with Polanski; a French documen- tary shot on location for French television during the making of the film; and a book- let with a critical essay. “Cold Comes the Heart” (Sony) is a sus- penseful crime drama filled with twists. Chloe (Alice Eve) and daughter Sophia (Ursula Parker) live in a rundown motel on a lonely highway. Proprietor Chloe is in financial trouble and has let corrupt cop Billy (Logan Marshall-Green) take advan- tage of her situation. One night, Topo (Bryan Cranston), a nearly blind career criminal, and his driver stop at the motel en route to deliver cash to an unknown boss. After an accident kills his driver and impounds his car, Topo takes Chloe and Sophia hostage and forces Chloe to be his new driver and guide, using Sophia as leverage. They set out after Billy, who has stolen Topo’s money from the car. Hoping to escape to a better life, Chloe tries to (continued on Crossword page)