"Lincoln" Review

It's Thanksgiving!  School is out and kids are home for the break.  For me, that means going to the movies with my history-buff of a father.  When I found out that Steven Spielberg's Lincoln would be playing in the theaters near our home, I called Dad to see if he wanted to make plans to see it.  I couldn't imagine watching this movie with anyone else.  The man reads so much that, to me, he is one of the foremost authorities on Civil War-era history, so I thought seeing it with him would be a good time.  (And I figured he'd enjoy this one more than Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter)
And it was a good time.  We both loved the movie, and I enjoyed discussing it with him afterwards.  He and I both agreed that it was very well acted, refreshingly funny, and effectively translated, from the history books to the silver screen, the real-life drama of bringing a quarreling nation and its political parties together to end both slavery and a war.  I also think Lincoln is one of the most historically-correct movies I've ever seen.  All the Civil War battles were accurate, and even my dad said the actors in the House of Representatives looked exactly like the real thing.
As the credits rolled I felt moved, and I now admire Abraham Lincoln even more for the historical work he did for our country.  This is probably attributed to Daniel Day-Lewis's masterful portrayal of the "Great Emancipator", which should surely lend the actor an Oscar nod in February.  Props to the makeup designers as well.  They made Day-Lewis look so realistic and natural in the role, I'd swear it was HIS face on the $5 bill.
All the supporting characters receive ample time to shine as well, despite the film centering primarily around Day-Lewis's strong performance.  I think Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, etc. are all terrific.  In any less capable hands, I think the film might have suffered.  Lincoln is riveting in its drama, and I wouldn't have picked any greater or any lesser a cast to attempt to pull it off.
My favorite parts were the scenes of debate between parties in the House of Representatives as they deliberated the Thirteenth Amendment; the amendment to abolish slavery in the United States of America.  I felt like I was actually in the chambers with them, and I felt as nervous and excited as I'm sure any attending member of the House felt in those heated moments.  I also loved Lincoln's clever anecdotes.  I especially enjoyed the one about George Washington's portrait being in an English "water closet".
Overall I'd say Spielberg's Lincoln is a return to form for the director and an entertaining, insightful journey through history that rides on the more-than-capable shoulders of Daniel Day-Lewis.  It benefits from strong supporting performances, and has a script that injects some refreshing humor while staying true to history and maintaining reverence for Lincoln's work.

See this one as soon as you can.  I promise there are no vampires.
4 of 4 stars