Lincoln (Spielberg, 2012)

[MrJeffery]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...9c3_story.html

Cool. Thanks for that. The sound in Lincoln was good / subtle. Wouldn't mind if it's recognized over some crap blockbuster.

[Sage]

I honestly didn't know much about Thaddeus Stevens going in, so for me he was my favorite part of the movie. But I just liked all the shit with the different factions and whatever. The Radical Republians, the conservative Republicans, the lame duck Democrats, the Tea Party Democrats.

Also, Mississippi ratified the amendment in 1995!

[RRA]

This was pretty good. A little long, and I will concur with those that some of the post-W.H. stuff (and Appomattox Court House) at the end maybe wasnt' necessary. But otherwise, pretty good.

I would be surprised if DDL doesn't win his 3rd Oscar for this.

[hurricanesmith]

She should have played all the parts Eddie Murphy style.

This is an even better idea.

HS

[lazarus]

Also, Mississippi ratified the amendment in 1995!

Is there a shittier, dumber, more racist, more worthless state in the union?


It should be turned into a landfill.

[McTeague]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...9c3_story.html

OH, they captured sounds for a talkie movie! It has the Oscar in the bag. Talkies are so rare this days, that any movie that has a soundtrack and has sounds recorded for it is a frontrunner in the sound categories. I blame The Artist.

[GR3]

[City Lights]

Brief thoughts before actually conjuring up a review:

Has anyone mentioned the atrocious made-for-tv-film editing? Because....shit that was...yikes. And then coupled with the cheesey made-for-tv-film score?

I really enjoyed the majority of this film. The material itself is a story that has been told before, but it's one that should be told over and over and over again. It's something that will always be worth exploring in cinemas, because it is such an incredibly important time in US history.

As far as the screenplay...I thought it was great, aside from the blatantly manipulative opening and close.

I really enjoyed all of the performances. I don't think I need to mention the amazingness of Day Lewis' performance. I do want to highlight Tommy Lee Jones & Sally Field. Both were given roles which could have easily turned into hammy cheese fests, and neither took that route. I adored the Field -- Day Lewis scenes. Beautiful acting from them both. Jones didn't exactly stretch himself here, but it was a memorable performance and his approach was perfect.

I'd like to see it again if only to focus more on the shots chosen and the set ups. I was getting too distracted by the editing & score (as previously mentioned). In the Mary & Abe argument scene about Bob's enlistment...there was no need to show an extreme closeup of a distraught Field (coupled with corny music). This happened several times throughout the film, turning powerful moments into a smack upside the head with a block of cheese.

Overall...I have very positive feelings for this film.

[City Lights]

This was something I was thinking about the entire movie, too. It's one of the first times I've ever been completely aware of the background sounds on a first viewing. The clocks ticking, the sounds of movement, the chains clinking as people spoke in Congress. They could be seen as distractions, but I felt the opposite.

[Donezo]

I must say that Sally Field writhing on the ground screaming "SEND ME TO THE MADHOUSE!!" is everything I could have possibly wanted out of this film.

I really, really liked it and was pleasantly surprised by how non-Spielberg-y it was. Like the majority in this thread, I thought this was going to be terrible after the first scene, but it turns itself around nicely. Every scene in the House is stellar, and I loved all of the James Spader/John Hawkes wheeling and dealing. This is definitely the deepest ensemble of the year (with Les Miz and its 9 acting nominees still unseen.) I wouldn't say DDL is best in show (Tommy Lee Jones steals every scene he's in), but there have been worse Best Actor winners recently. His physical transformation is stunning and actually kind of eerie. I literally felt like I was watching Abraham Lincoln. Compared to the laughable makeup job on Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock, this is Oscar worthy hair/makeup work.

I think the movie should have ended after the amendment passed. The untimely assassination had grave historical consequences, but that's not the story this film was telling. It felt very tacked on. There wasn't a need for that kind of artificial heartstring tugging, especially after that great scene with Tommy Lee Jones and his wife reading the amendment in bed.

[BBKing44]

I think the movie should have ended after the amendment passed. The untimely assassination had grave historical consequences, but that's not the story this film was telling. It felt very tacked on. There wasn't a need for that kind of artificial heartstring tugging, especially after that great scene with Tommy Lee Jones and his wife reading the amendment in bed.

Agreed, although I would have preferred for it to end after Lincoln left the White House (As I think Lazarus and Artimus already said). Everything about that scene pointed to it being the perfect stopping place in my opinion.

On the whole, I really liked this- which is a little surprising considering that I wasn't greatly anticipating the film. The cast was terrific and I enjoyed seeing actors like Michael Stuhlbarg, John Hawkes and Jared Harris shine in their (relatively) small roles. Daniel Day-Lewis...what more can I say? I still prefer Phoenix in The Master, but Day-Lewis is very, very good here. It really did feel like I was watching Lincoln. I admired how reserved he was, making scenes like the confrontation with Mary Todd and his son all the more powerful. I loved the authenticity of the language in the film and I thought Kushner did a fantastic job with the screenplay. The way that Lincoln's conflicts with his wife and his (older) son were weaved into his daunting tasks as President was commendable as well.
On Spielberg, he really is at his most restrained here and I liked the film all the more for it.

[Submerge]

I actually think this is actually my favorite Day-Lewis performance. He's just perfect here.

[City Lights]

Very strange that I keep going back to Sally Field's performance instead of Day-Lewis'. Maybe it's because I expected nothing but greatness from DDL and a hamfisted actressing turn from Fields. DDL delivered like I thought he would, but it was Field who totally surprised me.

Like I said before, the scenes with Field and Day-Lewis (and Field-TLJ) were some of my favorites of the film.

[Dent]

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lc...o_4158%2C6551/

One suspects Stevens would appreciate this epithet.

[dlong5665]

I just got out of this and will post full thoughts tomorrow, but this was fantastic. The screenplay was absolutely astounding and gave the actors opportunities to turn their characters into actual people and they all, with the exception of Jarred Harris who was awful, rise to the challenge. DDL of course was amazing and Sally Field and TLJ were especially great. The supporting cast was aces as well.

Just great filmaking.

[RRA]

Very strange that I keep going back to Sally Field's performance instead of Day-Lewis'. Maybe it's because I expected nothing but greatness from DDL and a hamfisted actressing turn from Fields. DDL delivered like I thought he would, but it was Field who totally surprised me.

Like I said before, the scenes with Field and Day-Lewis (and Field-TLJ) were some of my favorites of the film.

I think we can, well I will, say that all 3 will get nominated? (Field might be the questionable one I guess, but I think it'll happen.)

[Moviefreak]

Having seen this again tonight, I just have to say again how much I loved it. With the exception of Lincoln's death sequence everything else about the film works so well. I didn't even mind the beginning seeing as how it sets the film up. While my first viewing was all about Tony Kushner's brilliant script, this time around I was really taken with the acting. The entire cast is just so deep and so strong. All the leads are outstanding and every single bit player does a really terrific job with their characterizations. My least favorite performance was probably Joseph Gordon Levitt's, but it's not like he was bad or anything. This should really win the SAG ensemble.

[City Lights]

I think we can, well I will, say that all 3 will get nominated? (Field might be the questionable one I guess, but I think it'll happen.)

Nah. All 3 get in for sure.

[Moviefreak]

Yes, Field is completely locked.

[steve4922]

Yes, Field is completely locked.

Completely agree. A very challenging role to play, and IMHO Field absolutely nailed it.