Steve McQueen's "12 Years A Slave," the movie that "will win Best Picture," has received near unanimous praise from the nation's top critics, including The New Yorker's David Denby, Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman and Time Magazine's Richard Corliss. Even those critics not completely in love with McQueen's film -- New York Magazine's David Edelstein gave "12 Years A Slave" a positive notice, but with some reservation -- seem to agree that "12 Years A Slave" is one of the year's cinematic high points. All, apparently, except CityArts critic Armond White.


White, who is known for his frequent contrarian views (he thought "A Thousand Words" was better than "Argo", and wrote the first negative review of "Toy Story 3"), has slammed "12 Years A Slave," writing that it "belongs to the torture porn genre with 'Hostel,' 'The Human Centipede' and the 'Saw' franchise." There's more:


These tortures might satisfy the resentment some Black people feel about slave stories ("It makes me angry"), further aggravating their sense of helplessness, grievance–and martyrdom. It's the flipside of the aberrant warmth some Blacks claim in response to the superficial uplift of 'The Help' and 'The Butler.' And the perversion continues among those whites and non-Blacks who need a shock fest like '12 Years a Slave' to rouse them from complacency with American racism and American history. But, as with 'The Exorcist,' there is no victory in filmmaking this merciless. The fact that McQueen's harshness was trending among Festivalgoers (in Toronto, Telluride and New York) suggests that denial still obscures the history of slavery: Northup's travail merely make it possible for some viewers to feel good about feeling bad (as wags complained about Spielberg's 'Schindler's List' as an 'official' Holocaust movie–which very few people went to see twice). McQueen's fraudulence further accustoms moviegoers to violence and brutality.

White's pan puts "12 Years A Slave" in some good company: he also wrote negative reviews of "Gravity," "Blue Jasmine"and "Captain Phillips," three of the year's highest-rated films. His full review of "12 Years A Slave" can be found at the CityArts website.


"12 Years A Slave" is out in theaters on Oct. 18.



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  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o and Director de la Communication at Jaeger-LeCoultre, Laurent Vinay attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)




  • Steve McQueen, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard, Michael Fassbender


    From left, Steve McQueen, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard and Michael Fassbender attend the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • Sarah Paulson


    Sarah Paulson attends the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • Chiwetel Ejiofor


    Chiwetel Ejiofor attends the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • Sarah Paulson, Lupita Nyong’o


    Sarah Paulson, left, and Lupita Nyong’o attend the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • Michael Fassbender


    Michael Fassbender attends the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • Lupita Nyong’o


    Lupita Nyong’o attends the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R )Actor Paul Dano, actress Sarah Paulson, actress Lupita Nyong'o, actress Alfre Woodard, actor Michael Fassbender, and director Steve McQueen attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R )Actor Paul Dano, actress Sarah Paulson, actress Lupita Nyong'o, actress Alfre Woodard, and actor Michael Fassbender attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Actor Michael Fassbender, Nancy Utley, and director Steve McQueen attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Arrivals - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor attends the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Arrivals - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor attends the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Actor Michael Fassbender, Nancy Utley, and director Steve McQueen attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actress Sarah Paulson (L) and Actress Lupita Nyong'o attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actors Chiwetel Ejiofor (R) and Lupita Nyong'o (C) and Director de la Communication at Jaeger-LeCoultre, Laurent Vinay (L) attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Arrivals - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Actor Paul Dano, actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, actress Lupita Nyong'o, director Steve McQueen, actress Sarah Paulson, actress Alfre Woodard, and actor Michael Fassbender attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Actors Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woddard, and Michael Fassbender attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Actress Lupita Nyong'o, director Steve McQueen, actress Sarah Paulson, actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, actress Alfre Woodard, and actor Paul Dano attend the 'All Is Lost', '12 Years A Slave' & 'Nebraska' premieres during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Arrivals - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Director Steve McQueenattends the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at The Film Society of Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theatre on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actress Sarah Paulson (L) and Actress Lupita Nyong'o attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actor Michael Fassbender attends the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Director Steve McQueenattends the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at The Film Society of Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theatre on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • Chiwetel Ejiofor


    This Sept. 14, 2013 photo shows British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor from the film "12 Years A Slave," in New York. Ejiofor portrays Solomon Northup, a free black man who was abducted and sold into slavery in this pre-Civil War drama. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Invision/AP)




  • Chiwetel Ejiofor


    This Sept. 14, 2013 photo shows British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor from the film "12 Years A Slave," in New York. Ejiofor portrays Solomon Northup, a free black man who was abducted and sold into slavery in this pre-Civil War drama. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Invision/AP)