#2 - Lincoln
I basically went to see Lincoln for one reason, and one reason alone: Daniel Day-Lewis. He did not disappoint; he will win his third Best Actor Oscar, and if he doesn't it will be the biggest upset in years, maybe ever.
Of course, you can read about his greatness in all the other reviews, and you can probably also read about the Oscar nominated performances of Sally Fields (deserved) and Tommy Lee Jones (not deserved). I personally would have given Jones's nomination for Best Supporting Actor to David Strathairn, who plays William H. Seward as somebody who is wryly cynical about the nature of the political game.
This is a solid Oscar bait outing that makes Lincoln seem like a real human instead of a mythic demi-god, mostly because of Day-Lewis's sterling performance as a folksy, politically knowledgeable Lincoln with a store of earthy stories and a well of moral authority. However, this will not ultimately be listed among Steven Spielburg's finest works. In large part I think this is because the movie feels too 'pretty'; even during a desperate Civil War battle at bayonet point in the mud we can never quite forget that this is happening on a set somewhere. Compare this to Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List which both at times felt like they were live footage being used in a documentary. Without Day-Lewis this film might not have gone anywhere; his performance papers over a lot of faults.
Lincoln takes over the top spot in the "How much fun I had in the theater" list for 2013.
How Much Fun I Had in the Theater, 2013
Rank. Order - Name. Date; Theater.
Of course, you can read about his greatness in all the other reviews, and you can probably also read about the Oscar nominated performances of Sally Fields (deserved) and Tommy Lee Jones (not deserved). I personally would have given Jones's nomination for Best Supporting Actor to David Strathairn, who plays William H. Seward as somebody who is wryly cynical about the nature of the political game.
This is a solid Oscar bait outing that makes Lincoln seem like a real human instead of a mythic demi-god, mostly because of Day-Lewis's sterling performance as a folksy, politically knowledgeable Lincoln with a store of earthy stories and a well of moral authority. However, this will not ultimately be listed among Steven Spielburg's finest works. In large part I think this is because the movie feels too 'pretty'; even during a desperate Civil War battle at bayonet point in the mud we can never quite forget that this is happening on a set somewhere. Compare this to Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List which both at times felt like they were live footage being used in a documentary. Without Day-Lewis this film might not have gone anywhere; his performance papers over a lot of faults.
Lincoln takes over the top spot in the "How much fun I had in the theater" list for 2013.
How Much Fun I Had in the Theater, 2013
Rank. Order - Name. Date; Theater.
- #2 - Lincoln. Tuesday, January 8; Westlake Regal
- #1 - The Well-Digger's Daughter. Sunday, January 6; Cleveland Cinematheque.