“Lincoln” is one of the best films of the year and it is going to generate a lot of buzz during awards season. (Poster property of Dreamworks & 20th Century FOX)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Lincoln is one of the most impressive historical films that I have seen in the 2010s.
From its amazing screenplay written by Tony Kushner to the stunning cinematography from Janusz Kaminski, this historical drama will be a force to be reckoned with during the 2013 award season.
The film takes place during the final months of the Civil War where President Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) is desperately trying to tackle two monumental and monstrous tasks: putting the 13th Amendment into the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery and authorized Congress to enforce abolition, and reuniting the union. Unfortunately, he is met with resistance on all sides from his cabinet and from his rivals in the Democratic Party. In addition to those items, the President dealt with tension in his family as both his wife and eldest son had issues with him.
While Lincoln had a very strong acting ensemble, there were only three actors that stood out from the ensemble. Daniel Day-Lewis’ portrayal of the 16th President of the United States was impeccable because he showed off the President’s charismatic side as well as showing that he was an incredible orator and wordsmith. Sally Field delivered one of her strongest cinematic performances to date as the colorful First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. From her fits over losing her son to her charismatic confrontation with Thaddeus Stevens in the White House, Field perfectly showed off her acting range and could be nominated for Best Actress for this film. Another actor that should definitely get several nominations coming his way is Tommy Lee Jones for playing the cantankerous Thaddeus Stevens.
Final thoughts and grade: Lincoln is a film that should definitely catch this holiday weekend and it is one of Steven Spielberg’s best feature films to date. A+
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