Lincoln

Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln is a superbly acted historical drama about the most famous President in American history. It is gorgeous looking, impeccable sounding and unimaginably boring. In fact, when all’s said and done, Lincoln represents 150 of the most puzzlingly dull minutes I’ve spent in a movie theater this year. It wants (and tries and urges and pleads) to be excellent, which, given the talent involved in front of and behind the camera, it should be. But, alas, it remains anything but.

The film chronicles the seemingly impossible struggle of Abraham Lincoln’s attempts to pass the 13^th amendment, which would abolish slavery. The Civil War is coming to a close and the time to end slavery is now, now, now, as Honest Abe repeats to his stingy cabinet ad nauseum. There’s certainly more going on in the film’s plot, but that’s essentially the story Spielberg has elected to tell.

Throughout Lincoln’s fight, we meet several historical figures who either oppose or fight for Lincoln’s amendment. Most of these figures are played by some of the best actors in the game and all of them (literally, every last one) nail their respective roles. David Strathairn, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, John Hawkes, Jared Harris and many many more all make the ceaseless grandiose monologues in this film somewhat worthy. To be clear: if it weren’t for the actors involved, Lincoln would’ve been a complete wash.

Anyone could make a very short, easily winnable argument that Daniel Day-Lewis is our finest living actor. The accolades he has received throughout his entire career have never been hyperbolic or extreme, simply because the man’s got it. Always. And as Lincoln, he certainly does not disappoint. His soft voice, his deliberately slow walk, his playfulness, his seriousness – Day-Lewis plays Lincoln as a man of upmost significance, and it is nearly as thrilling to watch as his incarnation of damned oilman Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood.

Tommy Lee Jones, as Thaddeus Stevens, also deserves specific mention. His Stevens is a gruff man willing to go pound for pound with anyone within earshot. It is one of the best performances Jones has ever given. Oscar nominations for both he and Day-Lewis should be expected.

So, as you can see, the actors aren’t the problem. The problem(s) lie in the film’s pacing and, dare I say, screenplay. There’s a scene in Lincoln in which the President is seated in a large room as a few people from his cabinet tirelessly oppose the 13^th amendment. After a brief moment, Lincoln unexpectedly delivers an extended speech in which, by the end, everyone’s mind in the room has been changed. Now, change a few words around, and I’ve just described most of the scenes from this movie.

Maybe Lincoln had the power to immediately alter ways of thinking with his skills as an orator. In fact, that seems quite plausible. Thing is, I simply don’t need to be reminded of it upwards of 15 times in one two and a half hour film. Perhaps Lincoln, and the other characters’ verbose methods of speech, are what make the film feel double as long as it is. But no matter the reasoning, Lincoln is an ultimately failed passion project from a master director who hasn’t made anything masterful in a decade.

Scanning early reviews, which appear to be unanimously positive, it’s clear that many will disagree with me. That’s fair. I suspect for older generations, Lincoln will be a pleasant reminder that they still “make ‘em like they used to,” and perhaps others will be so enthralled with Day-Lewis’ work, that they’ll be willing to forgive the film’s unevenness. In general, I have no problem with long, historical, epic films, I simply like any movie that is good and can hold my attention for its duration (and hopefully a little while after that), which is something Lincoln did not do.

I’ll be spending this Thanksgiving with my grandmother, who is a great admirer of President Lincoln. Last night, my dad asked me if I’d like to see Lincoln with the family over Thanksgiving break. My response, “Pops, no disrespect to you or certainly to grandma, but you couldn’t pay me to sit through this movie again.” Sad but true. C-

Click here to read more about the cast of Lincoln