2012: The Year in Film: "Lincoln" Review

I got lucky to catch a screening of this one Wednesday night.  Flicks don't come with a much better pedigree than this one. Daniel Day Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in a film called "Lincoln" directed by Steven Spielberg? That's a damn exciting flick on paper.  And whatever you may think about latter day Spielberg (I happen think he's an overly sentimental, broad corncob who wastes visual brilliance and competence on being "popular", uncontroversial and safe) you can guarantee that this flick is going to feature a star-studded cast, look incredible, and be an all-around solid flick. That's never the concern with Spielberg. You're never going to get a complete turd. The question is, and has been since Schindler's List, is he going to be TOO safe. I.e., will Spielberg take the requisite chances to make something truly memorable and accomplished, or will he keep it in "Oprah's Book Club" territory and make something everyone likes, but no one truly loves?

 Based on the book "Team of Rivals" by Doris Goodwin (which I have sitting on my shelf, but haven't read, sorry not sorry) that focuses on Lincoln's unique cabinet (he pulled together political rivals and opponents to lead the country through the Civil War), this flick features on the last few months of Lincoln's life and in particular the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery for all time.  In that way, the title is somewhat misleading.  This is NOT a biopic on Lincoln the man, the myth, the legend, but rather a snap shot of a very specific, challenging and defining period in his presidency.

We open in January 1965.  The Civil War is winding down as the Confederacy finds itself with its back against the wall.  Lincoln has won re-election and enjoys a broad popularity after the long, turbulent grind of the last few years.  Desperate to both finish the war and push through with his political goals, Lincoln faces the tough task of balancing the diverse characters in Washington and elsewhere, especially the legal abolition of slavery in the entirety of the United States.  We all know how this one turns out for old Abe and for the nation as a whole.



The Good: there may not be a better director today at visually representing period than Steven Spielberg.  Between this and "Amistad", Spielberg has an obsessive master's eye for visually representing and recreating the gritty, earthy tones of the 19th Century.  This flick looks like a visual museum and I'm sure it will assume a role in history classrooms nationwide for decades.  The lead performance is simply astounding.  Not that we expected anything different from Daniel Day Lewis, but his Lincoln is warm, incredibly charming and often funny, but often wears the weight of the world on his shoulders.  This is a man who's been dealt an incredibly burdensome hand by the world, and rather than shirk from his lot rises to the occasion the way few ever have.  Lincoln's reserve, determination, wisdom and brilliance are borne out on Lewis' weary face and body language.  Sally Field (who I was admittedly worried about) is strong as Mary Todd.  Tommy Lee Jones is great as Thaddeus Stevens and will likely win Best Supporting.  James Spader tries his damndest to steal this one and absolutely owns every scene he's in.  When this film is focusing on Lincoln interacting with people or political intrigue both inside and outside of the Capitol Building and the White House it's great.  A top-notch political filler chock to the brim with historical nuance.

The Bad: I can't shake the feeling that Daniel Day Lewis is wasted in a role and a movie like this.  While no doubt he's given us a tender and complex depiction of Lincoln that will be remembered for years, Lincoln just simply doesn't offer the fiery bombast of a Daniel Plainview or Bill Cutting that really brings out the madman in DDL.  Maybe that's more a personal complaint than anything else, it's just that our finest living actor acts so rarely, it's disappointing when he doesn't give us something legendary.  The film tries to do too much re: Lincoln.  It tries to give us biographical details like a biopic, but the view and timeline is so short that it's not able to successfully do this.  The biographical scenes, including many scenes with Mary Todd and Robert Todd feel forced and shoehorned in.  In addition, this flick offers little nuance of the opposition to the 13th Amendment.  Those standing in opposition are depicted as cowards or worse.  There are scenes when the film is simply too broad.  Scenes like soldiers reciting the Gettysburg Address or soaring music with emotionally manipulative shots seem out of place in a film this honest.  Plus, the ending feels unnecessary and out of place.  An odd coda to what had to that point been a highly effective historical/political thriller.

In conclusion,  the film tries to do too much and falls short of its broad ambitions.  HOWEVER, it is extremely watchable, much funnier than you'd expect, and features a great historical story.  In addition, the star studded cast, top to bottom, is simply great.  Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader, John Hawkes and David Straithern particularly more than hold their own with the esteemed Daniel Day Lewis.  This film is very, very good, and will be remembered as such, but unfortunately it falls short of true greatness.  If you have any interest in American history, great acting or politics at all, see this movie.

8/10.