Review of Lincoln (2012) by Brandon L — 16 Oct 2015

Whether or not Daniel Day-Lewis took extreme liberty with Lincoln's real mannerisms or not should not be a point of contention to anyone but the most anal of historians. Soft-spoken, sharp, and, surprisingly imposing as a statesman, Spielberg's 'Lincoln' employs a cast buoyed by Lewis' Oscar-worthy performance, and the ambience of both soundtrack and production is sure to garner accolade as well.

Clad in authenticity, this narrative is refreshingly focused in its intimation of Lincoln as a human weighed down by the bartering of human dignity and national unity, all the while humanizing the man and not the legend--glimpses into his faltering family life, the loneliness he was oft confronted with, and his comforting but assuredly awkward social graces carefully incorporated into the film without ever detracting from the drama of the politics and moral/legal sacrifices necessitated by the moment.

While its gravity may not be found in speech-giving and war scenes, Lincoln does successfully impart the crushing push it took for one man to start the flipping forward of history's oft reluctant pages.

Slow and demanding of focus, a nuanced approach to figuring out 'Honest Abe' is unique and catered to the Oscar season, if not the movie-going public, solidifying its deserved spot in the more objective shelves of Presidential biopics--perhaps ever worthy of being mentioned as adding to the lore of 'The Great Emancipator' himself.