‘Lincoln’ Movie Review – A Husband, A Father, A Leader, A Man
Now that the election is over, it’s time to turn our attention to Steven Spielberg’s latest film, Lincoln, which takes a look at the final months in office of the 16th President of the United States. We follow Lincoln as he endeavors to put an end to the war and pass an amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery.
Since the outcome of the story is not really secret, the film is an exploration of Lincoln as a person and as a President. We see him as a husband, a father, the leader of the US and more importantly a man trying to do what he believes in his heart to be right.
In what we have come to expect from a Spielberg film, expect some really powerful and moving moments throughout the film. And as a fan of Spielberg, I was very pleased to find that he had once again delivered a marvelous movie which is sure to be nominated for some awards.
Speaking of Awards. Lincoln is played… no, I’m sorry, embodied by the brilliant Daniel Day-Lewis. More often than not, I forgot it was him playing Lincoln and that’s the ultimate test of how good a performance is. I smell some Awards for Mister Day-Lewis in the near future.
Day-Lewis is not the only noteworthy performance, the cast of Lincoln is definitely worth mentionning as well. Sally Field is a stand out Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. The always marvelous David Strathairn plays Secretary of State William Seward. James Spader, John Hawkes and Tim Blake Nelson play an amazing trio of character, who are a highlight of the movie and provide some great laughs. Tommy Lee Jones plays the Republican leader in the House of Representatives Thaddeus Stevens, who had a key role in getting Lincoln’s amendment passed. And I’m just scratching the surface here. Add to this list Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook, Jackie Earle Haley, Lee Pace, Jared Harris, Joseph Cross, Gloria Reuben, Michael Stuhlbarg, Walton Goggins,David Oyelowo, Bruce McGill, Lukas Haas and so many more. It’s brilliant, just brilliant.
There is no doubt about it, Lincoln is the film we wanted from Spielberg. It’s a great character study on such an important figure in the US history that provides a great balance between telling us about this moment in history and reeling us in to what is at the core a human story.
Lincoln combines beautiful visuals, an important story, and powerful performances to make it a great film choice to see this weekend.
Lincoln comes out to limited theaters today, November 9th, and will expand to more theaters on November 16th. You can watch the trailer and some photos from the film here.
