Spielberg's Lincoln Trailer! — Page 4

I share your enthusiasm, Sueleen.

Reposted from my Facebook update. I saw the movie this afternoon:



This reminded me so much of "1776" structurally and conceptually, starting with taking a universally known chapter in American history and making me "nail bite" over the outcome! How will congress vote? Will they abolish slavery? It's told with such skill on all levels, acting, directing, writing, cinematography, costumes, makeup, art direction, editing, and an unusually sparse amount of music for a John Williams score.

I wasn't a fan of the trailer for "Lincoln." I'm still not. It looks way too glossy and old-school along the lines of David O. Selznick and "Gone With the Wind." That's fine for movie storytelling from 75 years ago, but not so much for a film made in 2012. I'm happy to report that "Lincoln" isn't a Selznick period piece or "glossy" at all. Instead, it feels like vital, well-crafted, modern storytelling at its finest.

The cast is uniformly excellent. A Facebook friend of mine asked me to "rate" the "annoyance factor" of Sally Field's performance. She's clearly not a fan. I guess she has to know the historical figure of Mary Todd Lincoln before I even talk with her about an "annoyance" factor. Mary was a remarkably unusual woman who wore her emotions open and full-throttle at all times in an era when few people ever did that. It ultimately did her in, and she retreated into a world of isolation and mental illness. People displayed passions back then, yes. Deep emotions, no. Whether or not that qualifies as "annoying" to my friend? She will have to tell me. I thought Sally was excellent as Mrs. Lincoln and is sure to get a supporting Oscar nomination for her work, although I think the part is (somewhat) small. Her scenes are stellar, and she should be recognized. Other standouts are Hal Holbrook, a rather plump (I didn't recognize him!) but damn good James Spader, Jackie Earl Haley, Lee Pace, Stephen Spinella, Gulliver McGrath, Gloria Ruben, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

But this movie belongs to two men who I think will be frontrunners for all the major awards next spring. Tommy Lee Jones is at the top of his game as abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens. He commands the screen every single time he's on camera. His performance is one for the ages. And Daniel Day-Lewis, who IS Lincoln. So many other actors on stage and screen have played the part. Some brilliantly, but this is THE definitive portrayal. I am in awe of his work here.

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Finally had the chance to see this film yesterday, and am absolutely captivated by it.

From the screenplay to the performances all surrounded by superb cinematography, it was a brilliant movie.

Outstanding cast, and great story telling. I was on the edge of my seat, despite knowing exactly what would happen.

I downloaded the iTunes behind-the-scenes of Spielberg's film, as I was so drawn in by this film. (Link below) I also took my copy of 'Team of Rivals' off the shelf, and may have to give it a re-read!

Brilliant film. I'm considering seeing it again.
Lincoln: A Steven Spielberg film - discover the story

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Saw the film the other day, and found it entirely serviceable and largely forgettable. The brilliance of much of the acting disguises the by the numbers storytelling. I appreciated the relative absence of Spielbergian Syrup (some danger signs, like the mournful horn solo that accompanies some shots of Lincoln shuffling away after having a Meaningful Encounter with a properly astonished Mere Mortal, and that appalling lamplight shot at the end, dear God), but I just never really gave a damn about what was going on.

I'd have liked to see more about Lincoln and his family, especially considering the brilliance of Sally Fields' performance -- man oh man is that one angry woman. And that accomplished old scene stealer Tommy Lee Jones is a joy to behold, never descending into mere scenery chewing. Just check out his reaction to the passing of the amendment, as everybody's cheering all over the place, his quiet almost non-reaction was definitely the most genuinely moving thing in the film.

If I watch the film again, it will be to watch Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones do some of their finest work.

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Updated On: 11/25/12 at 09:20 AM

We just came back from seeing it. I thought it was all right - the opening frankly bored me. It wasn't until about a half hour into it that I really started getting interested in the film. At that point it became the non-musical sequel to 1776, though I didn't feel it had as much tension. I think this might be due to the larger number of votes being cast than anything else, but the parallels were pretty clear.

The performances across the board were strong. I thought Tommy Lee Jones stole the film- he was fantastic. Day Lewis was good, to be sure, but not much more than I expected honestly. I wasn't blown away by him. I did like Sally Fields more than I expected to, which is something.

3.5/5 stars for me. If they cut off the first half hour or so and the last five minutes it would have been a better movie.

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