Review of Lincoln (2012) by Alex M — 13 Dec 2014

Now this is how to make a historical movie!! This movie is another reason why Steven Spielberg is rightfully considered one of the greatest directors of all time. This took his many years to make, and boy did it pay off wonderfully.

Daniel Day-Lewis is PERFECT, absolutely perfect, as Abraham Lincoln. Hands down, this is the best portrayal of Abraham Lincoln ever captured on film. It's also the most historically accurate version. You see, many actors who've played Lincoln had him speaking with a deep, commanding voice, assuming that because he was our tallest president, surely he must have spoken like that. Historical records show that Lincoln's real voice was actually much more high-pitched and soft spoken, and Day-Lewis makes you feel like the real Lincoln was resurrected from the dead.

This is not a biopic of Abraham Lincoln's whole life. Instead, it is about his last four months in office, as he struggles to get the 13th Amendment passed, which as we all know, finally abolished slavery in the United States. Even though we all know what the end result is, it's still very suspenseful to watch.

In addition to Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field is magnificent as Mary Todd Lincoln, and so is Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Robert Todd Lincoln, David Strathairn as William Seward, and James Spader as W.N. Bilbo.

The production design, editing, costumes, makeup, cinematography and music are all perfect too. Everything falls perfectly into place to bring 1865 Washington, D.C. to life.

I should point out this film is heavy in dialogue, so if you're expecting this to be the Civil War cousin of Saving Private Ryan, you'll be disappointed. However, with Steven Spielberg at the helm, you know his movie will almost always be great, and here Lincoln is not just great, it's amazing!!! 10/10.