Lincoln

[RadicalModerate]

Spoiler Alert 1: The Amendment Passed.
Spoiler Alert 2: Lincoln was deprived of the opportunity to carry out his kinder, gentler plans for Reconstruction.
Spoiler Alert 3: Politics (and determining the destiny of a nation) makes strange bed-fellows.

If you are looking for "action"--in the current, enhanced-comic-book/graphic novel sense of that term--you will probably not enjoy this film.

If, on the other hand, you are interested in the carefully researched and presented details and actions related to one small slice of American history that generally gets perhaps one paragraph (or less) in a modern textbook, this film could be for you.

If you think that Daniel Day Lewis is a phenominal actor and that Steven Spielburg has never associated himself with anything less than excellence (including Shindler's List, in my opinion one of the top two films ever made) then you definitely do not want to miss this one. It is absolutely astounding how much new, raw, tense emotion, drama and insight can be evoked regarding arcane, behind the scenes actions the outcomes of which you may already think you are familiar.

You could wait for it to come out on DVD or Netflix, but even the previews of coming attractions were worth about a third of the $17.00-for-2 price of admission to view this masterpiece at AMC/Quail Springs Mall (or other theater of your choosing).

I honestly cannot remember the last time that a film exceeded my expectations to such a degree.
(It would be unfair to expect the same from "Oz" . . . "The Lone Ranger" . . . and "Gangster Squad" but I will and so it goes . . .)

[kelroy55]

I'm looking forward to seeing it.

[BrettM2]

As someone who has studied Lincoln for many years, I was greatly pleased with this film. They kept the inaccuracies to a minimum and the acting/settings/costumes/etc. were simply phenomenal. Great movie.

[RadicalModerate]

As someone who has studied Lincoln for many years, I was greatly pleased with this film. They kept the inaccuracies to a minimum and the acting/settings/costumes/etc. were simply phenomenal. Great movie.

I am by no stretch of the imagination "a Lincoln scholar" yet I liked the way that the film showed Mr. Lincoln as completely human rather than simply a magnificent idol enshrined in a temple in "Washington City" (that's D.C. for the rest of us). From somewhere in the past--prior to viewing this film--I gleaned that he was a pretty good frontier lawyer who enjoyed a good joke or story. I trust that this wasn't one of the "inaccuracies" in the film =).

Just out of curiosity . . . (Possible Spoiler Alert) Did you notice the smile that appeared on Thaddeus (Tommy Lee Jones) Stevens' face when he heard the second section/article of The Amendment read to him?

I really think that everyone, of every "political persuasion" should see this film because it would be a good thing if "all 'brothers'" living in something called "A Union of States of America" could live together in harmony and "not perish from the Earth" . . .

[kevinpate]

Hey ... no friggin' vampires. Everything else is gravy beyond that.

[BrettM2]

I am by no stretch of the imagination "a Lincoln scholar" yet I liked the way that the film showed Mr. Lincoln as completely human rather than simply a magnificent idol enshrined in a temple in "Washington City" (that's D.C. for the rest of us). From somewhere in the past--prior to viewing this film--I gleaned that he was a pretty good frontier lawyer who enjoyed a good joke or story. I trust that this wasn't one of the "inaccuracies" in the film =).

Just out of curiosity . . . (Possible Spoiler Alert) Did you notice the smile that appeared on Thaddeus (Tommy Lee Jones) Stevens' face when he heard the second section/article of The Amendment read to him?

I really think that everyone, of every "political persuasion" should see this film because it would be a good thing if "all 'brothers'" living in something called "A Union of States of America" could live together in harmony and "not perish from the Earth" . . .

Thankfully, his love of jokes and stores is completely accurate. Showing him as a human, with problems like the rest of us, is one of the strongest parts of this movie.

I did notice with Stevens. The only issue I saw with him is they exaggerated the "mixed" part of his companion's skin tone. Shew as described as caucasion in nature, but was a quadroon (1/4 African). I understand why (simply no time in the film to explain that, go for the visual cue to make it clear), so I'm not concerned with it.

[BrettM2]

Hey ... no friggin' vampires. Everything else is gravy beyond that.

For what that was, it was great as well. The book really weaves the fiction in with Lincoln's actual life. If you have a few days to spare, I'd recommend giving it a read. It's fun, if nothing else.

[kelroy55]

I haven't seen Lincoln yet but this also looks interesting.

First trailer: Bill O'Reilly's 'Killing Lincoln' | Inside TV | EW.com

[SoonerDave]

Saw "Lincoln" with the missus over Christmas, and while I agree it was a very good film, somehow it did not for me capture the "awe" I was expecting.

* I was not enamored by the pervasive, even gratuitous use of profanity. I'm not naive enough to believe Lincoln or his contemporaries never engaged in it, but I believe the movie purposely used it to sensationalize the dialog. The story was not enhanced by it in the slightest, nor would it have suffered had it been entirely omitted.

* I was not compelled by the use of the drunken henchmen giving out the patronage jobs, and it looks like this is an area where the movie took the most extreme liberties with reality.

One historical review I read included commentary to the effect of "The Lincoln portrayal is probably more historically accurate than any presented to date, but as for the surrounding cast, not so much." I believe, but am not certain, it was the same critic who took extreme issue with the idea of Lincoln slapping his son, as well as the screaming match between Lincoln and his wife about her presumptive commitment.

For my money, Tommy Lee Jones stole the show as he often does. He brilliantly embodied the personal turmoil and practical difficulties of bridging personal idealism with politics.

Very good movie nonetheless. Just didn't hit the mark I was expecting going in.

[RadicalModerate]

Still . . . Don't you have to admit that the "Ethan Allan Visits England (privy) Joke" was perfectly appropriate and not gratuitously coarse?