Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
2.5/4
"Lincoln" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 10/24/2014
Steven Spielberg's biopic of Abraham Lincoln concentrates entirely on his final years as he struggled to push through the 13th amendment to abolish slavery, his greatest achievement and one of the most important pieces of legislation in American history. This makes for an interesting snapshot of history in action as it shows the back room dealings and horse trading that are the stuff of politics even now, very much like a kind of "wild West Wing". Daniel Day Lewis' portrayal of the man as a softly spoken, thoughtful man of the people is extremely watchable, although Tommy Lee Jones puts in a scene stealing performance as a radical political firebrand and James Spader adds more character and some mild comic relief as one of Lincoln's back room "fixers". Spielberg's approach is suitably …
Rating of
3.5/4
Lincoln
worleyjamers - wrote on 06/29/2013
Lincoln is a really good film! Not a brilliant film, but it's extremely well done which is certainly not a complaint. Daniel Day-Lewis is terrific, he truly disappears into the role/character and gives a fantastic (Oscar worthy) performance. The screenplay by Tony Kushner is outstanding. Heavy on the politics, but moving and humorous at all the right moments. The film is rounded off by a perfect supporting cast, dotted with many well-known/renowned actors, and none of them disappoint, although Joseph Gordon-Levitt's seemed underused; he was fine, but the character was bland. Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field stand out. Overall, Lincoln is a great biopic about a great American figure. The film captures the conflict of the era, as well as the humanity of good ole' Abe.
Rating of
3/4
Daniel Day-Lewis, just wow!
Rod - wrote on 05/01/2013
The President of the United States of America fights for the rights, emancipation, of the slaves.
***
I have seen quite a few movies about Abraham Lincoln, and I would say that this film gave me much more information about the sixteenth President of the U.S, however, I felt like it was not all about Lincoln as I expected before watching the movie. I anticipated for something that is really about him, Lincoln and Lincoln alone. Though, of course, I have no reason to hate the story. This slavery and emancipation story was a great material to start with. Also, Spielberg directing, as expected, was great with a kind of performances given to us by Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones and one of my favorites Joseph Gordon Levitt. It was with a powerful cast, a great director, …
Rating of
3/4
Oscar Bait
Gabe - wrote on 01/22/2013
I agree with Alex in saying, this film is not about Lincoln, but, then again, it is. It's not a biographical piece. It doesn't start with his time in Illinois growing up and the Lincoln-Douglas debates, then his eventual election and untimely death. It's about politics. Specifically the politics of getting an amendment passed. Lincoln knew that the Emancipation Proclamation was only good during the Civil War. Once the war ended, the courts would overturn it. He needed the Amendment passes, and this film is the story of how that happened.
Other parts of the film are great, as stated in almost every review, Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, etc. are all great. The Cinematography by Janusz Kaminski is excellent as it is in almost every film that he and Spielberg …
Rating of
2/4
Powerhouse acting!
Lee - wrote on 01/22/2013
Let's start this review by saying that Daniel Day-Lewis is my favorite actor of all time! Any trailer i watch that has his name involved in what ever project usually means i will put my money down to see it. that being said i will now thank god for his acting abilities as this movie was very long and only the acting job he did as the 16th president of the U.s.a. Abraham Lincoln kept me enthralled thru-out. If you are a history buff, expecially when it revolves around american politics, and are looking for a so called biopic on Lincoln then this may be somewhat of a disspointment for you as a majority of this storyline revolves around Lincoln's final days in office before his untimely death due to assassination, and getting the 13th Amendment signed and delivered abolishing slavery once …
Rating of
3.5/4
Lincolm review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 01/07/2013
"This is history." Powerful, historical, believable and dramatic. Spielberg's touch again is back though not as enticing unless one is into politics/history. Daniel Day-Lewis' accent and speech about to passing Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution that would formally abolish slavery is Oscar worthy. His performances and lengthy dialogues were just astoundingly sensational and captivating. Humor in getting the votes, score, cast, screenplay, research, wardrobe and direction were impressive. So many memorable lines but this reviewer favors: "We've been miserable for a long time. We must try to be happier." "Do we chose to be born? Or do we fit into the times where born into?" and Mary - "No one ever been loved so much by the people, Don't waste that power!" The …
Rating of
3/4
lastonetoleave - wrote on 12/30/2012
Lincoln (2012) As the Civil War continues, Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) is determined to pass the 13th amendment and battles Congress as well as his own cabinet to abolish slavery. The film is only about the last few months before Lincoln’s second term is to start, so don’t expect a lot of setup from this film as it expects that you know most of the history of the Civil War and of Lincoln, himself. Daniel Day-Lewis is incredible in this performance, though it does take a little getting used to his voice, which is sort of high pitched. The rest of the cast does a remarkable job, including Sally Field as Mary Todd, David Strathairn as Secretary of State Seward and Tommy Lee Jones as Congressman Thaddeus Stevens. I really enjoyed the performances of James Spader and John Hawkes, …
Rating of
3/4
Review: Lincoln
MikePA - wrote on 12/29/2012
Steven Spielberg's Lincoln is a well-made historical film, studying Abraham Lincoln's final months in office as the President of the United States as he works to abolish slavery. This is a beautifully crafted spectacle, richly detailed in its narrative and features an outstanding performance from Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln. He portrays the character with warmth and just the right amount of strength and power. The film is undeniably very talky and dialogue-heavy, but some of the very best moments are the very talky moments, mostly due to Day-Lewis' tremendous performance. The problem I have with the film is that it didn't exactly move me. It worked much more for me as a history lesson then as a character-driven drama. However, Lincoln is still worth checking out.
3/4
Rating of
3.5/4
One of 2012's Best Offerings
JLFM - wrote on 11/28/2012
There's just so much to love about Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. It's moving, it's well acted, well made, etc. In fact, it's one of the best films that 2012 has to offer. Effectively capturing the character of Lincoln, and all the surround him, this is an absolute must-see.
Lincoln mainly revolves around the 13th amendment and Lincoln's work to get it voted in. Only the final months of Lincoln's life is chronicled, but that's enough for us to experience Lincoln as not only a beloved president, but a sincere and occasionally funny man.
The film opens to the Civil War, where soldiers are fighting for their lives, and their hopes. This is scene is bloodless, but still extremely brutal, and is a big eye opener to the horrors of war. This scene is effective and powerful, like the rest …
Rating of
3.5/4
Lincoln: Epic, Moving, Momentous
Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/18/2012
When crafting a story of one of the most beloved figures in history time, care, dedication, detail - it all has to come together or else you're left with a mediocre story about a great man. Lucky for us, Steven Spielberg's passion for Lincoln is just as good as his directorial pedigree and he does justice to the man and his legacy.
Lincoln is not a typical biopic - instead of following the life of one man, we focus in a specific moment in his life. In this case, we witness the events leading up to the vote on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery, as well as the waning days of the Civil War. Daniel Day-Lewis is a shoo-in for Best Actor nominee as he gives one of the best performances of the year playing the 16th president. Just his voice is enough to convince me …
