Turned exciting politics into melodramatic mush...

Rating: 1/10 (8 February 2013)

The acting is absolutely terrific in this film, there's no denying that. However, this is where my praise ends for Spielberg's film.
The passing of the 13th amendment was one of the most conflicting and exciting moments in American political history. So what does Spielberg do with the story? He fills it with shots of Lincoln staring out the window, staring at the floor, walking around, arguing with his family.
The film however should not be called 'Lincoln' but more 'The 13th Amendment" because that is what the film is about! We learn nothing about Lincoln 'the man' except that he was an intelligent man (which I believe we all assumed anyway).
The most disappointing aspect of the film for me, was when Abe got shot. We suddenly hear "THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SHOT!" There was no build up, nor a scene to show what happened. I feel like of all the scenes to leave out of a film, he left out one of the most important ones. I understand it may disturb people, but this is what happened! If you want mushy Hollywood approved melodrama with good acting, look no further than the travesty that is Lincoln. It's not a bad film, but it could have been so much better!