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Comments
This looks fantastic! DDL is just such an immense actor! ^:)^
It pains me to write it.
That monologue by DDL where he is pointing, yelling, and slamming the table gave me chills. I can't wait to see the full version of it.
I got chills... :-\"
Nice to know that the 'Munich' screenwriter is also doing this.
Actually it will only be in limited theaters for us on the 9th. The official release day for us in the states will be the 16th.
Just as I was going through the book, I learned about Spielberg's movie "Lincoln" coming out the same week-end as Skyfall in North America. That's one week-end I'll spend away from home!
Synopsis:
The film is based on the book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin and centers in on the last 4 months of Lincolns life when the 16th President of the U.S. was struggling to bring a close to the Civil War and also trying to get enough votes by Congress to pass the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, bringing forth the abolition of slavery.
Screenplay:
This film brought to life a critical moment in history unlike any other film I've seen before. Right from the beginning you know you're in for something quite special and that feeling never lets up. Tony Kushner provides his best work yet and I'm eager to see what he gives audiences in the future. This film was in the works for up to 13 years and only when Kushner was hired by Spielberg to scribe a fresh screenplay did the film start to become more of a reality and I can see why. Also, I must say that the trailers present a false identity of the film. Do not go by the trailers, trust me this film is beyond any other historical effort by Spielberg.
The Cast:
Great performances all around. I've never seen Daniel Day-Lewis play such a reserved role, I mean this in a good way. The characters he's recognized for are usually very theatrical in nature, but in Lincoln he portrays such a fragile yet stern, warm, relatable individual and I'd be surprised if he doesn't take home the best actor oscar come next year. Tommy Lee Jones turns in his best performance since 2007's No Country For Old Men. His character, Thaddeus Stevens, serves very much as the voice of the audience and has very memorable moments throughout the film. He's likely to get a best supporting actor nomination, not sure about a win. Let's face it, Sally Field is just always fantastic. She's the main reason this summer's The Amazing Spider-Man is still on my list of top ten films of the year. As Mary Todd Lincoln, she reaches depths of both wry sarcasm and deep depression. Her and Daniel really do feel like husband and wife many times throughout the film. Other performances that stood out to me were James Spader as W.N. Bilbo, Lee Pace as Fernando Wood, Jackie Earle Haley as Alexander Stephens and Jared Harris as Ulysses S. Grant. Haley and Grant don't have big roles but they play great opposite Day-Lewis in their respective scenes.
The Music:
John Williams has worked with Spielberg ever since 1975's Jaws, and at age 80 Williams reminds us why his working relationship with Spielberg has lasted so long. Williams plays it very low key and never once overpowers the actors. I've listened to the score on its own as well and it is a beautiful listen springing to mind many moments in the film. I'm also pleased with the inclusion of patriotic songs from the era. If you're into film music pick this one up.
The Cinematography:
Janusz Kaminski seemingly works mostly with natural light for day scenes and brings great shadows and warm colors for night scenes. This is honestly the way I pictured many moments of the book when I read it a couple of years ago.
The Direction:
Spielberg graduates to another level of filmmaking with Lincoln. It's very clear that this was a passion project for him. He's stated before the life of Abraham Lincoln has always fascinated him and the same can be said for me. Spielberg captures the performances of his actors in Lincoln unlike any other film he's worked on. He really pays homage to Kushner's screenplay and lets the actors do their thing. There are Spielberg moments but it's just a very different film for him.
Final Thoughts:
I must mention the great work by the make-up department. Those familiar with portrayals of Lincoln in film will recognize that all too often Lincoln's facial hair looks too artificial or inaccurate in some way. In Lincoln, they do a brilliant job of making his hair feel very natural and real. A minor gripe I had was with the ending but it's not enough to spoil the film for me.
Score: 9.2/10
My personal pick for best film of 2012 so far.
1. Lincoln
2. Skyfall
3. The Dark Knight Rises
4. Argo
5. Wreck-It Ralph
Shhh, come on...I already had 'Titanic' spoiled for me.
They said it was "unsinkable"! :((
You know, the same thing happened to me before I saw Marie Antoinette. Needless to say I "lost my head" over the whole affair. ;)
But there are plenty of moments that could be spoiled so just read reviews of this film with caution. :)
You're quite welcome! Thanks for the intriguing review.
It doesn't come out in the UK for at least another two months, and I've been really waiting to see this. Just don't think I can wait another two months.
Really? Please don't tell me he dies in the end. I hate it when that happens.
You really need to try to wait for it! You just won't have the same experience seeing it on a smaller screen without an audience. Please!! [-O<
It'll be incredibly hard. There's the US waiting two weeks for Skyfall, it's another waiting two MONTHS.