Even DDL could not bring life into this movie

Rating: 4/10 (22 December 2012)

The magic that is Daniel Day Lewis could not save this terrible movie. What was DDL thinking when he signed up for this? DDL is a phenomenal actor who generally does not make missteps in his artistic choices. Choosing to play Lincoln with such a weak script and such poor direction by Spielberg, was a mistake in an otherwise near-perfect acting career. But heck, the critics seem to disagree, as their love-fest with all-things Spielberg continues, and they have bestowed a number of Golden Globe nominations (and likely, Academy Award nominations to follow) upon the players involved in this mess of a movie.
Tommy Lee Jones; I just love the man. I saw Coal Miner's Daughter as a child, and have watched his performance in that movie numerous times. I never get tired of that movie. I have watched the Fugitive dozens of times; that movie is great because of TLJ. No Country for Old Men - more greatness from TLJ. Two great actors in Lincoln - DDL and TLJ - and this movie just fails, utterly fails. Who do I blame for this flop? The screenwriter and the director.
Unlike Spielberg's last over-hyped flick (Warhorse), this movie does have a couple of worthwhile moments - not shining moments mind you, but good moments nonetheless. I truly enjoyed some of the scenes between the President and his young son. There were some touching scenes between the aging leader, ravaged by the burden of sending boys and men to death on battlefields, finding solace from the horror of war by holding his son, talking to his son, parenting his son. There were also some notable scenes between Lincoln and his wife as well, with Sally Field playing her part well. I also enjoyed the moments when Lincoln would tell rambling anecdotes from his legal career with a bit of glint in his sparkling eyes, as though such stories lifted him to a different place, brought him back to a time when his life was not burdened with the horror of war and the devastating, demanding, daily, decision-making. The portrayal of Lincoln as father, as husband, as a lawyer turned politician now perhaps longing to return to the simplicity of the profession, had some appeal to it, and I left wishing that these aspects of his life had been more fully developed in the script.