Movie Review Lincoln

Lincoln tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's final months. It focuses on his relentless pursuit if the passage of the 13th amendment of the Constitution. There is no back story, no history is given on any characters. It starts out towards the end of the Civil War. Lincoln is tired, worn down, haggard. His son, Willie has died. His oldest son, Robert wants to join the Army to fight. His wife, Mary is depressed. The country is at war with each other. Needless to say, Lincoln has a lot of weight on his back. Daniel Day-Lewis channels Lincoln with such great talent that, you really believe in him. You feel the pain he is in, to such great degree. I have said in the past that Day-Lewis is one of this generation's finest actors and, this proves it. I am very certain this performance is Oscar worthy.

This is a very heavily dramatic film. Full of dialog and great speeches. This makes for some slow parts to the film but, the acting pulls you back in as soon as it drifts. The supporting cast is full of great actors as well. The one surprising performance came from Tommy Lee Jones who plays Thaddeus Stevens, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives. He may be up for a Best Supporting Actor nod come Oscar time. Steven Spielberg had this film in the works for some time. Liam Neeson was the original choice to play Abraham Lincoln. I'm sure he would have been fine in the lead but, Day-Lewis nailed this role down pat. Make no mistakes, this is HIS film.

Since there is no back story given, you may want to brush up on your history a bit, you may enjoy the film a bit more. But, if you are a history buff like me, you will love this film. A lot. The attention to detail was amazing.

4.5 out of 5