Daniel Day-Lewis, the man behind the spectacular performances of more than any man’s fair share of cinema villains and protagonists, delivers a sure-to-be-award-winning performance as one of the U.S.’s most beloved presidents in “Lincoln”.
Director Steve Spielberg’s monster film, while not as sweeping or expensive as “Saving Private Ryan” or “Minority Report”, serves to show a pivotal period in American history with the man with the plan: Abraham Lincoln.
Not spoiling anything, the film does away with any semblance of bland or slow plot development to create a stunning and emotional look at the American people’s difficulty in accepting people of African descent and of darker skin colors. Spielberg presents an America that is as divided as it is vividly colored by its history, and the cast performances only serve to heighten the sense that one has truly stepped back in time.
Daniel Day-Lewis’s portrayal of President Lincoln cannot be praised enough — the man manages to act the part such that no subtleties are wasted in the act. The mannerisms and attitudes of the titular character focus on not only national and domestic issues, but also on personal issues. “Lincoln” is less an interactive dramatic documentary on the life of Lincoln; it’s more of a political thriller, on par with other contemporary films such as 2011’s “The Ides of March” and 2004’s “The Manchurian Candidate.”
Overall, “Lincoln” presents to impress. Spielberg delivers a poignant and often shocking look at a different age of America — a time when men and women of all races and creeds were not equal, but a man with a purpose and the charisma to see it through would make it so. “Lincoln” is the stuff of Best Picture awards, and should be required viewing for patriots and film lovers alike.
