Starring: Daniel
Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Director: Steven Spielberg
Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Director: Steven Spielberg
Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Rating: PG-13
I’m probably going to get some haters for this one. I wouldn’t
necessarily describe myself as a history buff, but I was very much anticipating
Steven Spielberg’s latest so-called “masterpiece,” Lincoln. Unfortunately, the lengthy, wordy scenes, unremarkable
acting and overall drab tone left me underwhelmed and almost irritated.
Daniel Day-Lewis’ physical resemblance to Abraham Lincoln is
uncanny: he is unrecognizable as the actor from "There Will Be Blood" as he portrays this gentle giant. His embodiment of one of the
most influential presidents in United States’ history is powerful, though often
he was so soft-spoken that much of the dialogue fell flat. I was surprised to
discover that the screenplay was written by Tony Kushner, who wrote “Angels in
America,” which I very much adore. Unfortunately, Lincoln’s dialogue did not captivate me the same way. In fact, it
didn’t captivate me in the slightest.
The film chronicles the last 4 months of President Lincoln’s
life, as he tries to pass the 13th Amendment to the Constitution which
would abolish slavery, ultimately leading up to his assassination. The most
exciting part of the film was watching the vote being cast in the House, even though
we already knew how it would turn out.
Sally Field is exasperating as Mary Todd Lincoln, and Joseph
Gordon-Levitt doesn’t get enough screen time as their first-born, Robert. I was
excited to count the number of cameos and recognizable faces (I got to 9), which
included Jackie Earle Haley, John Hawkes and James Spader. The latter gets all
2 humorous lines in the film. (Actually, the inconceivable suggestion of women being
given the right to vote got an uproar in the House as well as wild laughter in the audience.)
(Photo courtesy of Entertainment Weekly; GeekNation) |
It takes a lot for me to space out during a film, and I
couldn’t begin to count the times it happened during this one. I’d be very interested
to discuss the movie with a history junkie, to see if their hopes for the film were
met. The Academy loves Daniel Day, so I expect him to receive a nod. The
make-up crew should as well, but Google Imaging a still from the film would have
totally sufficed for me. (There, I did it for you.) In my humble opinion, unless you’re a history
fanatic and have $10 and 2 ½ hours to spare, you’re not missing too much by
passing on this one.
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