Good? Yes. 12 nominations good? That's pushing it...

Rating: 7/10 (14 January 2013)

Like most, I came into Lincoln hearing much praise and anticipated a quality film. I also had heard about its runtime and I expected a long ride, but I did not expect this long of a ride. To my surprise "Lincoln" is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, but watching it, it felt like 3 very long hours. Simply put, I do not think Spielberg had the proper pacing for this film. As the film starts, you get a sense of framework for its development, the problem is: when does it stop? As a result of focusing on one key issue I believe Spielberg leaves much underdevelopment...which doesn't balance well with what is seemingly an abrupt ending. In my mind DDL owes history books for much of his success. When I really think about it, does "Lincoln" really convey a message of our 16th president, or was the instinct to accept whatever morals he stood for? This, in my opinion, leaves me wanting more. Spielberg insists on using the same formula to send the film's message; time that could've been spent utilizing the talents of Sally Field, JGL, and others. I received nothing new out of a film that dragged on. What "Lincoln" pushes for is something we already know. Effective, but the idea gets old.