Surprise, surprise. Another year another chance for Spielberg to pick up another Academy Award. Now, this is not me complaining about Lincoln in the slightest, but I'm ready to watch fun Spielberg again. Dude, you've got so many awards, can't you do another Minority Report or Jurassic Park or Catch Me If You Can? I want to see the fun high-spirited Spielberg who directs great action and has fantastic humor. Not, I haven't won an Oscar in awhile so I gotta do War Horse Spielberg. Give us a break, man!
Rant aside, Lincoln is a fantastic film. Were you expecting that? Of course you were. Daniel Day-Lewis crawls out of his cave after four years of silence? The man only reappears when the script essentially guarantees him a nomination or five (save for Nine) because, let's face it, he's the best method actor in Hollywood. Nobody plants themselves into a role as deep as Day-Lewis does. And he's given us some of the best characters (villains) in movie history. Combine him with the worlds most famous director and you (should) have film glory.
Don't be fooled by the trailers or the title of the film, this is not a biopic of Abraham Lincoln's life or tenure in the white house. Lincoln chronicles the life of the President a few months before his death as he's eagerly trying to pass the thirteenth amendment. That's it. Don't expect to see a lot of Civil War scenes ala Saving Private Ryan with muskets. Don't expect to see Day-Lewis proudly giving the Gettysburg Address. No. It is just about the President and his cabinet attempting to find twenty extra votes in the House of Representatives in favor of the amendment.
It took me a good forty minutes of the film to figure that out, but once I did I was able to sit back and enjoy. Now, I'm not going to lie to you, the film is incredibly slow at parts. It is dialogue heavy with political banter abounds and for those uninterested in the history of politics, the first half of the film may filibuster you out of the theater early (you see what I did there?). But, if you can sit back and watch this history in action, I can tell you that the movie as a whole is highly successful in its cause.
It's got a great cast of supporting characters. Tommy Lee Jones in particular is a magnificent grumbly old Representative with a sharp tongue and a comeback for everyone. He knows when to speak and knows when to scowl. It was also nice to see James Spader back on the screen and having fun. Sally Field plays Mary Lincoln so great that it's hard to want to see her anywhere near the President. She's a loony old soul with too many emotional screws loose that all she wants to do is hold Lincoln back... and she knows it! A cavalcade of supporting actors sprinkled throughout the film also lend to the film's delight including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook, Jackie Earl Haley, Jared Harris, Lee Pace, and John Hawkes among others.
But, the real shining star here is, unsurprisingly, Daniel Day-Lewis in his relatively quiet portrayal of Abraham Lincoln. When you hear of Day-Lewis, you automatically wonder what character spin he's going to put on his role. Bill "The Butcher" was a greasy New Yorker with a glass eye and a constant grimace. Daniel Plainview was a monster behind a moustache. But, Abraham Lincoln is played with some restrain. He's a soft-spoken, giant-hearted individual. I've heard some critisism of Day-Lewis' choice on how he portrayed Lincoln as 'safe'. But, let me assure you there is nothing safe about it. To be a great actor there needs to be no sign of the actor in the character. While I still don't think I've ever really seen the real Daniel Day-Lewis, this has to be the furthest from him I've ever seen. From his mannerisms to his walk slightly slouched, to his smile, right down to the kindness in his eyes. Lincoln is a man with the utmost love of everyone. He wants to use his Presidency to do something right and looks at human beings both with him and opposed with love. Just because he's not "The Butcher" in Lincoln-face, doesn't mean that this isn't some of the finest acting on film in a few years.
Spielberg should also get recognition for his direction. This should come as no surprise, but it's nearly perfect. Spielberg has the tendency in his "Academy worthy" films to be a bit long-winded and verbose and nearly bore the living War Horse out of us. Thankfully, in Lincoln, unlike the aforementioned War Horse, there's life inserted into the film. There's sustainable characters. There's humor. There's a film that's not about the most boring goddamn horse in history. Sorry... sorry. And while there are moments that a scene will run a little too long, especially in the first half, every moment is just as important as the one preceding it. War Horse aside, Spielberg still knows how to make a great damn film.
I do not recommend this film to all my readers, because it's not for everyone. It's overly long, slow-paced, dialogue heavy, with very little visceral action happening on screen. However, if you can appreciate the slowly dying art of great acting and great filmmaking, I suggest you put this movie next on your list. Even if it ends up not being your cup of tea, there will still be an appreciation for the film as a whole. Now, get your damn Oscar, Spielberg, so you can entertain me once more with something mindless and fun.
A
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