Lincoln (2012) - Steven Spielberg + Daniel Day-Lewis = It Was Finally Meant to Be!

Rating: 10/10 (2 December 2012)

The one and only Steven Spielberg has directed this historic biopic that re-tells the events taken place during the final months of Abraham Lincoln's presidency, and the troubles that he went through to pass the thirteenth amendment and abolish slavery, while dealing with family issues of his own. At a running time of 150 minutes, "Lincoln" is another terrific entry in Spielberg's life-long career as a film director. Perfectly casted as the determined president, Daniel Day-Lewis is a terrific method actor that always knocks the ball out of the park in every performance, whether playing a crippled writer in "My Left Foot", or an obsessed oil worker in "There Will Be Blood", and his performance in "Lincoln" is no exception. He definitely disappears into the character, and delivers a interesting take on this historical figure. He recreated the walk, talk, and mannerisms of this president very effectively, and he embodies the true spirit and wisdom that Lincoln was known for having, and he absolutely nails it. It's a performance that I hope will score Daniel Day-Lewis another Best Actor nomination. As for the supporting cast, Sally Field does a rather fine job playing Mary Todd Lincoln, and she stole every scene she was in. James Spader is perfect playing the sharp mind of W.N. Bilbo, and we get a few limited roles from big names such as David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook, Jackie Earle Haley, and Michael Stuhlbarg. Tommy Lee Jones has been giving tons of Oscar consideration for his brave portrayal as Thaddeus Stevens, the one who seems to be dissatisfied with the thirteenth amendment. Although I fully believe that he wasn't in the film enough for me to truly adore him, I still thought he nailed it. There is no need for me to go into rough detail on how beautifully Steven Spielberg directs this movie. He always knows how to keep the viewer invested in the story, and delivers some stunning visuals to the piece, from Janusz Kaminski's remarkable use of cinematography, to the terrific musical scoring of John Williams. Entirely taken place in the White House and the Capitol Building, where the driving force in the film, is the interesting dialouge shared between the characters in the film, that deliver an interesting take on how Lincoln was able to pass this amendment. But although screenwriter Tony Kushner's script delivered some memorable moments for sure, there are some bloated moments that kind of let me off-guard, and although never leaving me bored, it's the moments of the political speak that left me a little dazed. When an entire movie has nothing but dialouge, it has to be very interesting, which it definitely is, but at times, kind of got me confused. There are also some moments when some characters felt unnecessary, or didn't feel developed well, and "Lincoln" would have been better off with a shorter running time, rather than 150 minutes. But, there was nothing bad that can affect the scope of this film. The masterful directing, brilliant acting, stunning visuals, and beautiful music, are all joined together for one interesting biography on one of the greatest American presidents. This is one of the most important films of the whole year. From the opening shot on the battlefield to the final moving speech at the end, "Lincoln" is one of 2012's best films. I can easily imagine Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Steven Spielberg, and the movie itself getting nominated for a couple of awards. "Lincoln", in my review, "historically intriguing and remarkable, if flawed".