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Steven Spielberg's skills on full display in 'Lincoln'
For a man who's created some of cinemas all-time greatest films, it's amazing how easily we take Steven Spielberg for granted. For most directors, it's newsworthy when they are nominated for an Academy Award, but for Spielberg it's news when he's not nominated.
This past year Spielberg garnered his 15th Oscar nomination for "Lincoln" and shows that at age 66 his skills are only becoming better with age.
"Lincoln" is Spielberg's interpretation of president Abraham Lincoln's struggle to get the 13th Amendment passed, which abolished slavery. Not only did the 16th president have to fight those outside of his party, but even some of his most trusted advisors. Their view was that the president could have one of two things -- an end to the bloody Civil War or slavery abolished, but not both.
Spielberg's carefully crafted film shows the strength and persuasiveness that Lincoln possessed to appease those close to him and win over those who were against him.
Daniel Day-Lewis is nothing short of remarkable in the title role. In a year marked by very strong performances, Day-Lewis' Oscar win was well deserved and move him into a elite class of three-time Oscar winners.
Day-Lewis' performance conveys the quiet strength and quick wit that made a poor lawyer from Illinois one of the most beloved presidents in history flawlessly.
As he says himself, Spielberg wasn't able to fall back on the things that helped establish his career -- namely action sequences -- in "Lincoln." The film is a slow burn that draws the viewer in by the subject matter's sheer importance. Although we know the eventual outcome before the movie even starts, the path to which the amendment trekked, is one almost as important as the amendment itself.
The movie boasts acting nominations in three of the top four categories. In addition to Day-Lewis, Sally Field was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mary Todd Lincoln and Tommy Lee Jones for his performance as Thaddeus Stevens.
Overall, "Lincoln" is an achievement, although it slows to a crawl at times throughout. Working from Tony Kushner's Oscar-nominated script, based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "Team of Rivals: The political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," Spielberg and crew produced a beautiful film that gives us an up close and personal look at the triumphs and tragedies that was Abraham Lincoln's life especially in early 1865.
The four-disc combo pack features a plethora of extra goodies, including a digital download of the flick. There's a two-disc version, but it worth it to fork over a couple extra bucks for the four-disc edition.
Final Cut: Spielberg is at the top of his game with "Lincoln." He shows he's still one of the best directors in the business. Day-Lewis' performance is the best of his career and shouldn't be missed.
4.5 out of 5 stars
"Lincoln"
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader, Hal Holbrook
Director:Steven Spielberg
Writer: Tony Kushner
Run time: 150 minutes