Lincoln is also a colossal bore. It is so pedantic, slow-moving, sanitized and sentimental that I kept pinching myself to stay awake-which, like the film itself, didn't always work.
I don't know what has happened to Spielberg because when he was a young man, pace was his specialty... this film is devoid of pace. It drags on and on and on, without credibility or cohesion.
Forget all the adulatory plaudits you might read, this could be the most boring movie ever made.
But this is the review that confirms what I expected of the film from the trailers. I stated at the time that it looked like it was going to be a hagiography.
What could have been an affecting, quiet bit with our most revered national figure ends with a clumsily proselytized mission statement...
The problem is that what Spielberg does best--really all he does, anymore--is mythologize his subjects. This makes him the obvious but worst choice for a film about the single most mythologized figure in our short history... Spielberg is entirely incapable of treating Lincoln as anything other than a holy, sainted martyr.
it's also impossible not to be offended by Spielberg's inability to resist printing the legend
That one might have predicted that this was going to be Spielberg's approach doesn't make it any less disappointing.
Please, keep this man away from directing the Star Wars sequels.
I think a much more interesting question is, what was it about your knowledge of Lincoln or 19th century American politics that led you to believe this film would be anything other than exactly what it is?
Was there something in the trailer, the advertising, or the early reviews that misrepresented this film?
What are you doing to re-calibrate your own expectations so you don't continue to keep making this same mistake over and over?
it's 92% fresh on RT. the critics almost universally praise it. but aside from that, it's just a great bringing to life of a crucial moment in American history and a figure that most people think of as a marble statue in Washington.
Why make a movie about someone we already hear about 24/7?
I'd like to see them make a movie about Calvin Coolidge, the do-nothing president who was nonetheless hugely popular and presided over the roaring 20s. That'd actually be interesting to watch.
Why make a movie about someone we already hear about 24/7?
I'd like to see them make a movie about Calvin Coolidge, the do-nothing president who was nonetheless hugely popular and presided over the roaring 20s. That'd actually be interesting to watch.
I like the idea of sitting in an empty theater too. Hope it gets made.
"I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
- Screenwriting Friend
It's a drama--not a war movie, not an action movie, not a thriller.
It's an engaging look at the almost bare-knuckle White House and Congressional politicking surrounding passage of Amendment XIII. It has plenty of sharp dialogue, much of which offers penetrating insights into ideas about race held by Union lawmakers.
As he does with every role, Day-Lewis disappears into his character. But there's a slightly disturbing thing about his performance: he affects a thin weak voice when delivering most of his lines. I presume that was quite deliberate: I recall reading somewhere that Lincoln was said to have a thin voice. Unfortunately, when some scenes hit a dramatic beat or payoff, that thin voice is a letdown. Even so, there's a great scene of Lincoln meeting with his cabinet when he lays down the law about what he wants and why he wants it.
Other strong scenes touch on family dynamics: the earlier loss of a child, and the eldest son's determination to enlist, despite his parents' fierce opposition.
Sally Field gives a forceful performance as Mary Lincoln, maybe stronger than the emotionally fragile First Lady deserved. Tommy Lee Jones holds the screen as an implacable Congressman determined to crush the opposition. David Strathairn's performance as Seward is probably the best I've seen from him.
No, it's not Looper, but it is very watchable historical drama, if you're interested.
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