One of the best films I've seen in many years

Rating: 10/10 (24 June 2012)

You will have to bring your brain to enjoy this movie. It doesn't talk down to the audience. It doesn't cheat the audience. And anyone who thinks it's anything less than a work of art didn't see the movie I saw from my perspective. I detested Dark Shadows, the last film from this producer/writer duo, but if they spewed out that to get to this, they are forgiven.
Benjamin Walker is superb in this. He's as big as he needs to be to encompass the metaphor. As one might surmise, this isn't about vampires. It's not about the Civil War. It isn't even about Lincoln as much as it is about the moment in time he represents. In fact, the last few scenes clue us in that the director/writer believes the war is still going on, and I agree with them.
I simply adore this film. Yes, it's violent, but it's not as bloody as it might have been. It is also pitch perfect. If they had gone one degree more in any direction, this film might have been howlingly silly, but if you're bright enough to get what the director and writer are getting at, I think you'll love it.
Benjamin Walker is now one of my favorite actors, and I've only seen him in this The rest of the performances -- as well as the casting -- are first-rate, too. The only bad note is the really bad age makeup on Mary Todd Lincoln, but when a film is so good that you notice stuff like that, it's easy to forgive.
I can't recommend this film highly enough.