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I haven't seen the film but I'm suspecting this guy suffering of having an underrated performance because he is playing the good guy, pour Chwietel the oscars haven't been given and he is already in the same position of Liam Neeson with Schindler's list and Russell Crowe with Gladiator.
I remember how in both cases both actors were nominated. In Gladiator Russell and Joaquin Phoenix, Schindler's list Ralph and Liam but with time people have keep saying how Crowe and Neeson didn't deserve their Noms as much as Joaquin Phoenix and Ralph Fiennes.
Sure their characters look less complex on screen but they worked hard to make people remembering them as much as our Villains and the same is happening with Chiwetel I guess.
Guys playing the main good guy is not easy and even less when there Is a very colorful role written for the main Villain.
Crowe, Neeson and Ejiofor did their best to not be out shined by Fassbender, Phoenix and Fiennes and our good guys deserve more credit than what movie fans give them credit for

i think he deserves the oscar

Matthew was a little better than usual, but Matthew plays Matthew in every role. I hear the same accent in almost every role. He seems like a nice guy so congrats to his success.
It's harder to act with minimal dialogue. Chiwetel's job was not easy. His acting was in his eyes and his body language.

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Once again, neither of you know what the hell good acting is. Just watch the films of his I've listed, and you'll see that he's one of the best damn actors out there todayperiod.

@KeanuMeansLove
Obviously you're never seen any of his other moviesyou cn't always judge one's acting ability by just one movie. I also find it funny that your sign-in name is that of an actor whose acting ability has always been questioned to this day, no matter how many good films he's done. Check out the titles I mentioned with him in the leadhe's a damn good actor,plain and simple.

Yep, that eternally disgusted expression is so distracting in everything. take Vanity Fair cover, for exmaple. You have Julia and Idris looking like they were having fun, everyone else looking normal and then Chiwetel with his disgusted smug, as if the photoshoot was beneath him. Fine, if you think so then turn it down, don't look like a party pooper.

He's obviously a very smart man but I question his acting ability. He just seems to have this eternally disgusted expression on his face regardless of what emotions are necessary to be conveyed in particular scenes
Spoilers!Spoilers!Spoilers!Spoilers!

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I know good acting and good movies just fine and really averige 12YS that wouldn't be noticed if director wasn't black is not all that. Nor are those bland forgettable performences. In few years nobody's going to remember it. Wal mart bargain bin like Hurt Locker. Yep.

@coolbrett
Yeah, rightit you can act,then why aren't you doing it? And,honestly, roxlana hates him and 12 Years a Slave, and wouldn't know good acting if it hit him or her across the face. For other movies that Ejiofor has been excellent in, check out DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, REDBELT, RED DUST, KINKY BOOTS, TALK TO ME (he's the lead in all of of them except RED DUST,in which he has an important role as one of the main characters) and FOUR BROTHERS, where he plays the villain for once. Forget what roxlana thinks, because he/she hasn't even bothered to see any of them,,and has constantly dogged out 12 Years A Slave and everything about it. And,frankly, none of the posters on here even know what good acting is. It also seems like all of you just had a hard time with 12 Years A Slave simply because it wasn't some dumbed-down sugarcoated candy flick that you could easily digest. Well, first of all, it's not a Hollywood film to begin with, and none of you know a good film if it whomped all of you upside your little whiny immature heads.

All of this. You may not believe me but I can't remember him in anything where he was supposed to be great. Maybe it's just me but the guy's so unmemorable. For example, I'm told he was in Children of Men, Love Actually, Salt and I'm like "who did he play? I cna't remember him." if 12YS wasn't so hyped I would have forgotten I'd seen it.

I agree with roxelana. All that was required for him to get an Oscar nomination was to: 1- star in this movie about slavery, and 2- have a "god I'm suffering" constipated look on his face the entire movie. Any actor who made it past a TV show pilot could have taken the role and got an Oscar nomination. Sometimes I feel like I should take up acting to show people like him how to do it right. I really do. I feel like I can do a better job than 80% of the actors who get Oscar nominations.

He looked constipated all the time. It was very average minimalist performance. Plus he has ZERO charisma and isn't likable. I didn't care for his character because I didn't like the actor.

I agree, he was great but not oscar great. Imho same can be said about lupita. But i sure hope this movie will launch them into another level for their careers, they deserve it!

We'll just have to agree to disagree but I must say that his performance is one of the best that I have ever seen. It was effortless for him and his portrayal was heartbreaking, powerful, and effective. Even when he didn't say anything, hi5b4s eyes conveyed emotion. For example, towards the end of the movie when the director has the camera rested on him for an extended period and Chiwetel looks around and then stares into the camera. Powerful scene! You can read his eyes the emotions and the turbulence of his life. It gives me chills just thinking about it.