Why I don't like this movie

Rating: 2/10 (12 December 2012)

I went to see this with some ambivalence - Spielberg movies are always wildly uneven, manipulative, and problematic. So, where to start? The film is ugly - camera-work, costumes, the physical look of rooms, sets, and production design. With only one exception (Sally Field), the performances were wildly uneven. I was always aware of Daniel Day-Lewis' acting choices. Sally Field's Mrs. Lincoln was the only performance that felt fully realized; true, she was helped by having the best written scene in the movie (the fight over their son's desire to enlist). The film reminded me of all those "great men" movies, usually from Warner Bros., in the 1930's and 40's: he's always the smartest man, the only one who has any real intelligence, and is hampered and misunderstood my miscreants. I also hated, hated, hated that little kid - strangle him! What a bore! I found myself groaning at too many scenes. The film also is a defense of the current liberal idea that corruption is fine - whether it's "kill lists" or favoring oppressive governments - if it gets you what you want personally. Winning is what is important, and if you have to win by bribery and deceit, oh well.
Tommy Lee Jones has a few good scenes but they are uneven. We also aren't given enough screen time to the opposition. I felt bad for several actors, esp. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who aren't given enough to do. Black actors are "used" in this film in a really grotesque way: we aren't allowed to get to know them at all - zero character development.
The only reason I give this film 2 stars is for Sally Field's excellent performance. I fully expect this film will garner Oscar nominations and perhaps Oscars. I personally would prefer Ewan MacGregor or Hugh Jackman for Best Actor (The Impossible is an AMAZING movie; Les Miserables is more than even amazing!) It was a difficult 2 1/2 hours to sit through. But there are better movies out there to see right now.