I had a bit of a movie marathon on Sunday. I kicked it off with Skyfall, then watched Breaking Dawn, and then I went to see Lincoln.
Lincoln
I went into Lincoln with a bit of trepidation. I have followed the development of it for many years, and I was very much disappointed when Liam Neeson dropped out of the lead role. I never had any doubts that Daniel Day Lewis would do a great job, and certainly, when the first image of him as Lincoln was released, it was amazing how much he looked like him. However, when the first trailer came out, there was one thing that stuck out to me that could possibly ruin it all, and that was the voice that Day Lewis chose to for the part. Granted, he has never been one with a booming basso voice, but the thin, reedy voice heard in the trailer just didn't sit well with me. I know that no one really knows exactly how Lincoln sounded, but I think we all want to imbue our historical figures with a gravitas that might, in reality, not be the case. Knowing that Daniel Day Lewis is a consummate actor who immerses himself completely, I can accept at this point that this is how Lincoln sounded, and frankly, I think I just saw a reincarnated Lincoln for two and half hours.
To be blunt, Daniel Day Lewis and nearly every single supporting actor from Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader on down to the rogues gallery of character actors, Lincoln is a master class in acting, and for some people that would be enough. However, this is Steven Spielberg at his most restrained, Tony Kushner at his most regal, Janus Kaminski at his most egalitarian, and John Williams orchestrations that are some of the most subtle of his career. Lincoln is amazing!
I could go on and on about Lewis' portrayal, but you truly do forget that he is even there. You think it is Lincoln. We all know the public persona, but I am pretty sure most of us didn't know that Lincoln was prone to somewhat profane jokes (at least by 1860s standards). Of course, you take for granted that Daniel Day Lewis is always going to be amazing. For me, the real stand outs were Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, and James Spader. Sally Field has been playing "Sally Field" for so long, you really do not realize how great of an actress she can be. The same can be said for Tommy Lee Jones. You don't hire Jones to be the delicate lover spouting Shakespeare. You hire him to be a gruff intimidator, and while it could be said that his Thaddeus Stevens is exactly that, the gravitas and humor that he brings to the role is just a sight to behold. He will be nominated, and could possibly win, Best Supporting Actor (again). James Spader is basically comic relief, but it is very well done. It really is the most loose and funny he's been in many many years.
There is really nothing I can say that can do justice to Tony Kushner's screenplay, which was mostly inspired by Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals. Who could expect any less from the writer of Angels in America? The sheer poetry of the words makes me wish Spielberg had filmed the original 500 page script he initially submitted. I honestly would pay to see more of this repertory troupe film more instances of Lincoln's life beyond the last three months or so than this movie shows.
I have written a lot here. I have written enough that I am now throwing Cloud Atlas into it's own post. I really do not want to belabor the point, but if you are a lover of history, appreciate great acting, direction, and writing, then you owe it to yourself to go see Lincoln. It is absolutely history come to life
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