January Movie #1: Lincoln

Friday, January 4, 2013

January Movie #1: Lincoln

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader, John Hawkes, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Run Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Lincoln takes place during the Civil War with Lincoln's struggle to end the war and abolish slavery.

I went to this movie because it's sure to be an Oscar contender. I can see why. There are sure to be several categories nominated, particularly for Daniel Day Lewis as Best Actor. I marveled at how much Daniel day Lewis resembled Lincoln. At first, his voice didn't seem to fit (too high) but he just had humble mannerisms that fit the character. Sally Field (as Mary Todd Lincoln) was a bit overtaxed in some scenes. I didn't think she worked. Almost but not quite right. I didn't see as much desperation and crazy in her as there hinted to be. I did find a lot of Tommy Lee Jones' (as Thaddeus Stevens) acting to be over the top/ bad. I thought he worked too hard at it. You could see the effort. But he has a great sullen face that conveyed the mood without words. I'm glad his character commented on his wig in the movie because it was a bad wig. A really bad wig. Laughably noticeable. It kept pulling me out of the moment until he made the comment about it.

But the acting (and wigs) is just part of the movie. The story is another aspect. These types of movies always make me realize that I'm not as smart as I think I am. I'm also not as culturally sophisticated as I hope to be. I was a bit bored at the first 15 minutes of this movie during all the oration scenes. I kept thinking that the Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter movie was better because it highlighted actual historical facts with a lot of cool vampire action. I kept waiting for the vampires - and action - in Lincoln. Vampire Hunter kept me entertained. It moved. I had to work at liking Lincoln.

What drew me into the movie was characterization. Lewis had such a wonderful handle on Lincoln. He played him as a humble man. Subtly funny man. I loved all Lincoln's stories. Some of the other characters didn't but I did. They were interesting and funny and well told by such a sincere man. Interesting the things he went to - toured battle sites - and things he handled - dealt with seemingly petty disputes. Presidents today don't stoop to that level. Also thought the way he interacted in public - travelling in an open carriage with no visible security - was brazen, considering people drew pistols (as witnessed by the aide procuring votes who had a pistol drawn on him) with abandon. Complex man. Seemed to take things to heart, a lot of emotional burden on him, but yet didn't interact with his wife with emotion on the level she needed, a level that might have kept her from going insane. He had reckless abandon with threatening her with a nut house and yet seemed so tender with her during most other interactions. He was kind... Until his wife really needed him to be kind. Interesting to see her stress level, her emotional demise. How intelligent Mary Todd was. How intelligent Lincoln was, with self proclaimed little education (although he was a lawyer). I did like his interaction with his oldest son and how if only he had reached out to his son, or let his wife see his emotions, it might have spared her the turmoil of her son enlisting. Although his enlistment made sense and I was disturbed at how neither of them wanted him to enlist. Good movie...

I liked it. I didn't love it. It was an interesting telling of the drama without caving to theatrics - like the amendment count. Most movies would have made the last vote the deciding vote. But the scene cut away from the vote count before the tally, thus adding further drama to the situation. The drama built to the action of the count, rather than a verbal disclosure of the count. The movie also didn't show the assignation scene. Tad's reaction to hearing his father was murdered was drama enough. It did play to what you think is going to be the assassination but wasn't. Interesting diversion. Spielberg should probably win for Best Director... but I'm basing that on solely this movie and not comparing it to what might be nominated.

One final note: Why is it that I'm the only one laughing at movies these days that aren't comedies (which, oddly, I don't laugh at)? Do people not get subtle humor, is that they're not paying attention, or is that moment really just not funny? I like to think it's not me. I seriously laughed many times at slight lines and was the only one laughing.

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List O' Movies Watched

2016 Movies
16). Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
15). Suicide Squad
14). Star Trek Beyond
13). Ghostbusters
12). The Legend of Tarzan
11). The Secret Life of Pets
10). Finding Dory
9). Central Intelligence
8). X-Men: Apocalypse
7). Captain America: Civil War
6). Zootopia
5). Deadpool
4). Kung Fu Panda 3
3). Norm of the North
2). Spectre
1). Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
2015 Movies
45). Peanuts Movie
44). Goosebumps
43). Scouts Guide (to a Zombie Apocalypse)
42). Suffragette
41). Burnt
40). Last Witch Hunter
39). Crimson Peak
38). Bridge of Spies
37). The Martian (3D)
36). The Intern
35). Hotel Transylvania 2
34). Everest
33). Man from U.N.C.L.E
32). Vacation
31). Terminator: Genisys
30). Ant-Man
29). Pixels
28). Minions
27). Jurassic World
26). San Andreas (3D)
25). Spy
24). Inside Out
23). Ex Machina
22). Tomorrowland
21). The Age of Adaline
20). The Avengers: Age of Ultron (3D)
19). Danny Collins
18). Fast and the Furious 7
17). Home
16). Cinderella
15). Focus
14). Kingsmen
13). Paddington
12). Whiplash
11). The Imitation Game
10). American Sniper
9). Selma
8). Birdman
7). Theory of Everything
6). Boyhood
5). Jupiter Ascending (3D)
4). Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb
3). Taken 3
2).The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (3D)
1). Into the Woods
2014 Movies
20). Big Hero Six (3D)
19). Gone Girl
18). Dracula Untold
17). Boxtrolls (3D)
16). A Walk Among Tombstones
15). Frank
14). Expendables III
13). Guardians of the Galaxy (3D)
12). Chef
11). X-Men: Days of Future Past
10). How to Train Your Dragon 2 (3D)
9). Maleficent
8). A Million Ways to Die in the West
7). Transcendence
6). Captain America: The Winter Soldier
5). Muppets Most Wanted
4). The Grand Budapest Hotel
3). The LEGO Movie
2). Non-Stop
1). Saving Mr. Banks
2013 Movies
52). Philomena
51). Delivery Man
50). Frozen (in 3D)
49). Homefront
48). Hunger Games: Catching Fire
47). Thor: The Dark World (in 3D)
46). Free Birds (in 3D)
45). About Time
44). Escape Plan
43). Gravity (in 3D)
42). Don Jon
41). Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (in 3D)
40). Riddick
39). Planes
38). Red 2
37). Despicable Me 2 (again)
36). Turbo
35). Despicable Me 2 (in 3D)
34). The Heat
33). Monsters University
32). This is the End
31). Now You See Me
30). What Maisie Knew
29). The Hangover III
28). Star Trek: Into Darkness
27). Fast and the Furious 6
26). Gatsby (in 3D)
25). Iron Man 3 (in 3D)
24). Disconnect
23). Pain & Gain
22). Place Beyond the Pines
21). Side Effects
20). G.I. Joe: Retaliation
19). The Croods
18). Jack the Giant Slayer (in 3D)
17). Oz the Great and Powerful
16). A Good Day to Die Hard
15). Snitch
14). Zero Dark Thirty
13). Life of Pi (3D)
12). Beasts of the Southern Wild
11). Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films
10). Warm Bodies
9). Parker
8). Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (3D)
7). Django Unchained
6). Amour
5). The Last Stand
4). The Impossible
3). Les Miserables
2). Silver Linings Playbook
1). Lincoln
2012 Movies
42). Wreck it Ralph
41). Skyfall
40). Argo
39). Hotel Transylvania (3D)
38). Looper
37). Taken 2
36). ParaNorman (3D)
35). Ice Age 4: Continental Drift
34). The Expendables 2
33). The Odd Life of Timothy Green
32). Total Recall
31). The Amazing Spider-man
30). Brave(again)
29). Magic Mike
28). Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (3D)
27). Brave
26). Prometheus
25). Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
24). Snow White and the Huntsman
23). Men in Black III (3D)
22). Battleship
21). Dark Shadows
20). The Pirates! Band of Misfits
19). The Avengers
18). Mirror Mirror
17). The Hunger Games
16). Titanic (3D)
15). Coriolanus
14). The Lorax (3D)
13). The Artist
12). Extremely Close & Incredibly Loud
11). The Help
10). Hugo
9). Journey 2: Mysterious Island (3D)
8). Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts
7). Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts
6). Safe House
5). A Dangerous Method
4). My Week with Marilyn
3). The Grey
2). The Descendents
1). Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
2011 Movies
56). Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
55). The Muppets
54). Arthur Christmas (in 3D)
53). Puss in Boots (in 3D)
52). In Time
51). Martha Marcy Mae Marlene
50). Margin Call
49). Real Steel
46). Dolphin Tale
48). 50/50
47). Ides of March
45). Killer Elite
44). Moneyball
43). What's Your Number?
42). Drive
41). Winnie the Pooh
40). Fright Night
39). Crazy, Stupid, Love
38). Captain America: The First Avenger
37). Cowboys and Aliens
36). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
35). Cars 2 (again)
34). Zookeeper
33). Midnight in Paris
32). Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon (in 3D)
31). Bad Teacher
30). Cars 2
29). Mr. Popper's Penguins
28). Green Lantern
27). X-Men: First Class
26). Kung Fu Panda 2
25). Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides
24). Bridesmaids
23). Thor
22). Rio
21). Hanna
20). Source Code
19). Fast Five
18). Hop
17). The Adjustment Bureau
16). Limitless
15). Rango
14). Beastly
13). The Housemaid (Ha-nyeo)
12). I Am Number Four
11). True Grit
10). The Kids Are All Right
9). 127 Hours
8). Unknown
7). Oscar Nominated Live-Action Short Films
6). Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films
5). The Fighter
4). The Mechanic
3). The King's Speech
2). The Green Hornet (in 3D)
1). Black Swan

Robin's World - Movie Valley

Movie Reviews

Friday, January 4, 2013