LINCOLN ***1/2 OUT OF ****
Steven Spielberg's presidential biopic is the most Oscar-nominated film for 2012 with a total of 12 nominations, and as such, had been the favored film to win Best Picture, especially when the pre-nominations favorite, ARGO, failed to garner a Best Director nomination for Ben Affleck. ARGO has since reestablished its standing, but LINCOLN is still expected to win big. 2-time Academy Award-winner Daniel Day-Lewis' performance as Abraham Lincoln is remarkable and the frontrunner for Best Actor, an award he deserves and would make him the new record holder for most Best Actor wins, currently tied between Day-Lewis, Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson.
Day-Lewis owns this film. Spielberg's indelible stamp is clearly present, but it is Day-Lewis' masterful performance that elevates the film to its stature of prestige. To those familiar with his work, perhaps it's not too surprising, but this is not the Lincoln most are familiar with and yet, it is more accurate for this. The classic, stoic Mr. Lincoln of Disneyland memories is cast off here, leaving only the already accurate physical details. His voice, assembled from contemporary descriptions and regional accents, is probably the most striking thing with its alto pitch and folksy inflections, but with assistance from the script by MUNICH screenwriter Tony Kushner, we're treated to a less iconic but more honest humanity as well. These elements to the film's approach are not exactly unknown elements about the man, the time and the place, but we so often ignore them in favor of a grand American myth that it's a bit incredible to see that route taken.
The 16th president here is not the simplistic version of heroism we learn as children, neither is it a smear or a hokey, self-important aim for historical realism. He is a great man, but a man, molded into greatness fitting for his timely role. He's a father, both the playful sort who joins his child Tad on the floor to play, as well as the troubled father to his adult son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is compelled to join the war effort against his parents' desires, even while Lincoln finds himself sending the many sons of others to the carnage of battle. Lincoln is also the emotionally frail husband to Mary Todd (Sally Field), in a marriage that has ups and downs including a fierce shouting match when they argue over Robert's intentions. Most prevalently though, is Lincoln the politician. He is a sharp wit, a talent which he most often displays through a folksy charm that often involves a storyteller's approach that finds him sitting, crouched over while he applies gently humorous anecdotes. He outwits his political opponents through practiced legal trickery and delicate pandering, while carefully weighing means and ends, and as an audience you can see those wheels turning furiously in his head while he maintains a neutral appearance.
The supporting cast is all very strong and well-cast, but the standout is the Tommy Lee Jones, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, as the boisterous Radical Republican abolitionist Rep. Thaddeus Stevens. He utilizes his well-practiced crusty demeanor to the utmost for his character who struggles to play a watered-down approach to his conscience for the sake of achieving his political goal.
Some of Spielberg's weaknesses make "cameos" here and there, such as Peter McRobbie's snarling villain of a Democrat who leads the effort against the abolitionists, and some corny moments during the climactic scene of congressional voting.
Of course, none of these issues are a significant detriment to the film's quality and it's a classically-styled "Best Picture", if not especially bold or unique as a film. It has potential to be a minor classic in future years.
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