Lincoln - B+

Rated PG-13, 150 minutes

 Day-Lewis the highlight of the talky, reverential period drama “Lincoln”

Daniel Day-Lewis

Everything you’ve heard about Steven Spielberg’s new fact-based drama “Lincoln” is true. In an amazing performance,  Daniel Day-Lewis perfectly embodies U.S. President Abraham Lincoln that’s sure to be Oscar-nominated. The voice, the clothes, the amble, there’s nothing that the method-acting obsessed Day-Lewis can’t tackle with aplomb. As a film, “Lincoln,” which is based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s historical novel “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” is overlong, a tad stodgy and exceedingly talky, and it’s more of a political drama than Civil War action drama, but in the end still genuinely  moving and satisfying. The film covers the final months of Lincoln’s presidency and life, as he strives to end slavery and pass the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which abolishes slavery. Written by playwright Tony Kushner (“Angels in America”), the film is enormous in scope and features a gallery of real-life characters, from Mary Todd Lincoln (Sally Field), their oldest son Robert Todd Lincoln (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, little to do), Radical Republican Congressional leader Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones, great here), Secretary of State William Seward (David Strathairn) and influential politician Francis Blair (Hal Holbrook), among many others.  “Lincoln” shows Abe Lincoln the politician, who was able to finesse enough votes to abolish slavery and earn his rightful place in history before being killed much too early. Superbly acted and directed, “Lincoln” this is not by any means an action film but it is engaging and appealing most to historians and Day-Lewis’s fan base. Day-Lewis’s astounding performance, made complete with authentic hair and makeup, is by far the best thing about the somewhat rambling, stagey film. The costumes, the sets and production design and music are all first-rate as well, and among the rest of the large cast, Jones is most memorable for his excellent, winning turn as abolitionist Stevens, who also worked hard to pass the bill, and Fields is also strong as the emotionally fraught Mrs. Lincoln. Aside from the aforementioned, also watch for James Spader, John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson, Bruce McGill, Gloria Reuben, Jared Harris and Jackie Earle Haley, all of whom get in a good scene or two. Lincoln’s monologues and folksy stories are also a treat; Spielberg’s reverential, tad preachy treatment has its drawbacks but overall “Lincoln” is a worthy, well-acted and generally satisfying effort.

Wes’s Grade: B+