Lincoln
2012
***
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Tim Blake Nelson, John Hawkes, Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones, Gloria Reuben, Gulliver McGrath, Bruce McGill
As the Civil War rages on in 1865, President Lincoln is determined to pass the 13th Amendment and abolish slavery. Alongside this monumental political task, he is locked in domestic battles with his fragile wife and his grown-up son who is eager to enlist. Rather than attempting to tell a sketchy life story from birth to death, Steven Spielberg's long and ambitious biopic wisely concentrates on a few key moments in Abraham Lincoln's career. The end result is consistently interesting but never terribly captivating. The passing of an amendement doesn't make for great entertainment, but Spielberg has put together one handsome looking film. Daniel Day-Lewis once again immerses himself fully into the titular role. His commanding performance secured him his third Academy Award. Tony Kushner's script is based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.
