Goodbsorbim

Rating: 7/10 (24 November 2012)

There is no question of the extraordinary portrayal of the title character by Daniel Day-Lewis. It is forceful, nuanced and absorbing. He is truly a great actor. The misgivings I have are the telling of the story, which kind of veers toward political correctness. Besides Mr. Day-Lewis, most of the other roles are underwritten. Tommy Lee Jones has shown himself to be time and again a wonderful actor, but he is not in this film enough for us to consider his role in the passing of the 13th Amendment. Sally Field, as Mary Todd Lincoln,barely needs to be in this. The film wants to please everyone, which is fine, but it reaches too far. It is at times way too much talk. However, watching Daniel Day-Louis is worth the price of admission. So, a little conflicted but recommended.