Lincoln

This is a very good movie. It is darkly shot (almost in black and white) and while it has flashes of humour, it is fairly serious. Daniel Day-Lewis (The Last of the Mohicans, 1992) gives a superb, thoughtful performance. Sally Field is good (Places in the Heart, 1984) but I'm not sure it is Oscar-worthy.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to do excellent work (the brilliant Inception) and, like Leonard DiCaprio, I wonder if he too is taking some very effective acting lessons? (I confess I liked him in Angels in the Outfield 1994 and of course Third Rock from the Sun.) Tommy Lee Jones (I didn't know he was in Field of Dreams) gives another very strong performance. James Spader (his scene unravelling the link in Stargate, 1994, is memorable), whom I also like in Boston Legal, is a quirky character.

The film is long, historical, and very political, including at least 20 minutes on the vote on abolition in Congress (which I enjoyed). The amount of time on Lincoln's children is too long and doesn't contribute a lot. Overall, some of the movie drags but generally it is a well done, informative piece that I would see again.