Lincoln

While watching this film, I posted on Facebook that it was like 1865 West Wing. I stand by that statement. One rare and amazing thing about the film was the writing - it was poignant and mesmerizing without being overly convoluted. The costuming was brilliant but not over the top, and I like that it focused on the politics of the 13th amendment rather than specifically on Lincoln's life or the war. Overall, while I thought Daniel Day Lewis was great, he wasn't really a "lead actor" in my opinion. It was an ensemble cast, with Tommy Lee Jones shouldering most of the second half of the film. I am pleased he was nominated, and I hope he wins (so far). They are two actors that are very different (even though they both have three names) because Tommy Lee Jones always sort of seems like Tommy Lee Jones playing a part - whereas Daniel Day Lewis seemed like Lincoln. I believed it. It's a rare talent to make the viewers believe you really are the character you're playing, but it worked and I thought it was genius.

A lot of recent films depicting historical figures (like J Edgar and The Iron Lady) focus on the weirdness or the controversy of the figures (i.e. Hoover was gay-ish and Margaret Thatcher was a bitch), but Lincoln was really just about the politics and how it happened and how the political machine worked in the 1860s. I loved it. I think it deserves awards, but I'm not sure what it deserves yet. I also thought Sally Field was great and really depicted a crazy Mary Todd Lincoln, but one that was strong-willed and a good partner to Lincoln. Thumbs very up.