rawlinson
Posts: 40148
Joined: 13/6/2008
From: Timbuktu. Chinese or Fictional.
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Lincoln
Spielberg taking on Lincoln and the abolition of slavery. You'd expect a focus on the big Lincoln moments, with DDL getting to deliver a lot of grand speeches while stirring music swells. And you'd be wrong. Instead you get Spielberg's most interesting film in about thirty years. It's not about the battles of the civil war and it's not about the human life that is wasted by the war, it's about the dirty politics good men have to take part in to get something achieved. Lincoln wants to get slavery abolished, but there's rumours that the south are willing to talk peace. If the war ends before the amendment to ban slavery is passed, Lincoln knows that the vote will go against him. If word even reaches the other politicians that there is a chance of peace talks, he could still lose the vote. Why antagonise the rebels by banning slavery if the civil war can end with slavery intact? Lincoln has to choose, make sure the slaves are freed and risk a bloody war lasting even longer, or make peace in the country and keep men in chains. Although even that description is making the film sound uplifting. And it's not uplifting, it's about the backroom deals that politicians make, the way they're willing to sell their beliefs (and their votes) in order to get a cushy guaranteed job. Lincoln targets a certain number of democrats who he thinks can be persuaded to vote his way, he just has to give them what they want first. The focus on this political gamesmanship takes up most of the running time, only in the last twenty minutes or so does it fall into the kind of usual Spielbergian moments, and even then he still manages to subvert much of what you'd expect from him as a director. DDL is also a surprise, given his recent run of performances, you'd be forgiven for expecting him to play Lincoln big. Instead he gives us his most restrained work in years, making the president a charming, softly-spoken old sod who has a great way with a story. It's difficult to imagine any of the other Oscar contenders giving a more deserving performance. Also excellent are Tommy Lee Jones as the firebrand Thaddeus Stevens (surely one of the frontrunners for supporting actor) and David Strathairn as Lincoln's astute advisor. More disappointing is Sally Field, who plays the part a notch short of full on hysterics. To be fair, that's how the character seems to be written, but she's capable of stronger, more rounded work than she gives here. She starts so fragile that she leaves herself nowhere to go when the character is pushed, so she becomes over the top when everyone else seems more settled in their parts, and you never forget she's ACTING as a result. The Oscar talk seems to be based on one big argument scene with DDL, but I liked her best when the character was more playful, such as when she reminds Stevens why he'll never be adored in the way her husband is. As much as I hate to say it, JGL is also a disappointment, although that's more because his character is treated as an afterthought. Other actors are able to make a bit of a mark on the film, even with limited screen time, but JGL's character of Robert Lincoln is just given nothing to do. Mostly though, it's a very good film from a director who rarely impresses me. It's probably the frontrunner for the Oscar. Less problematic than Zero Dark Thirty seems to be (Also, Spielberg hasn't won in 15 years) and I think it'll speak to voters following on from an election year in a way that Argo might not.
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ORIGINAL: matty_b
I would plough my way through MonsterCat 
quote:
ORIGINAL: matty_b
I desire MonsterCat to go down on me.
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