Lincoln (2012)

Rating: 7/10 (17 November 2012)

Straying from the conventions of a true biopic, Lincoln, the newest film from director Steven Spielberg presents a detailed view into the divisive state of American politics during the waning days of the Civil War. Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner depict the monumental challenge and vast political opposition President Lincoln faced while fighting for the passing of the 13th amendment into the Constitution. The film is sharp and focused, concentrating less on Lincoln's personal and family life, in order to fully portray his tenacity and drive to have the hotly contested amendment passed before the official conclusion of the war. While this approach largely benefits the film, there are instances in which Lincoln could have benefited from a closer examination in to the President's more meaningful personal relationships. In particular, the scenes between Lincoln and his oldest son (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) seem to lack a certain emotional punch and ultimately seem fruitless and ineffective.
The always-stellar Daniel Day-Lewis brings a calm, subdued sensibility to the title role. Day- Lewis does well to depict Lincoln's humanity while maintaining his larger-than-life stature. He's seen in the film as a man of immense power and influence as well as immense charm and wit; always equipped with a joke or anecdote, but commanding and fiery when the situation demands it. As the film approaches its conclusion, Day-Lewis deftly paints the picture of an exhausted Lincoln feeling the full weight of the immense burden he is carrying. It's a brilliant, nuanced performance that further solidifies Day-Lewis as Hollywood's most gifted leading man.
In addition to Day-Lewis in the lead role, Lincoln is overloaded with perfectly cast character actors that breathe considerable life in to Spielberg's Washington. Much of the films humor derives from the trio of James Spader, John Hawkes and Tim Blake Nelson as slippery Washington lobbyists tasked with securing across-the-aisle votes in favor of the new amendment through various under the table dealings. Sally Field gives a solid turn as the volatile Mary Todd Lincoln. Anguished by the loss of one son to typhoid fever and the dread of losing another to the war, the film's First Lady is portrayed as someone forced to put on a deceitful smile for White House guests while suffering privately. Tommy Lee Jones shines as Republican Congressional leader and devout abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens, one of the many characters in the film faced with the alternative of betraying their own convictions in service of a greater good.
Despite Spielberg's reputation as the master of on-screen spectacle, Lincoln confines itself to a platform more fit for a stage play than a motion picture epic. At times the film seems like nothing more than a collection of mostly static scenes depicting men sitting in rooms talking. Despite its few visual flourishes and a brief battle sequence that opens the film, Lincoln could certainly be considered the least purely cinematic picture in Spielberg's illustrious canon. Even with these hindrances, the powerhouse performance of Day-Lewis makes Lincoln a captivating experience, if not quite a classic.