Lincoln (2012)

[Hamatron]

Lee Pace was also on Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies, two short-lived (and super-twee!) television shows that had very strong fandoms but were canceled when they didn't get the ratings the network was expecting from them. I think those two shows are the main reason there's a lot of internet love for him out there.

Oh! And he was excellent Soldier's Girl. He played a transgendered drag artist who falls in love with a guy in the military. It's based on a true story... and it is much darker than what I am describing, but the plot is complicated (but very well done).

[Ginger]

Spielburg apparently did a crazy amount of research for the movie, even going so far as to make a recording of Lincoln's actual pocket watch to use as a sound effect.

That explains the constant ticking. I wonder if Spielberg also recorded an original White House clock because I thought I heard two different ticks depending on which room Lincoln was in. Swinging his pocket watch. Or having a conversation draped over a mantel clock. Yeah, I get it, Lincoln the foot-dragger needs to race the clock to get the votes in time. Never change, Mr. Spielberg.

I gotta add to the chorus and say Daniel Day-Lewis was absolutely amazing. Never a false moment, ever. It was just incredible. It was funny at one point to see DD-L, an Englishman, telling a story in Lincoln's voice that involved imitating an English accent, and it was still totally Lincoln. It will be an absolute crime if anyone other than DD-L wins the Oscar. I don't care how many he already has or will get, he totally deserves it.

I also have to say, I don't understand what all the fuss is about Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I thought all of his facial mugging was very unsubtle, and his crying was phony. His performance wasn't awful, but it stood out to me as the worst in the movie. And that's including the pleasant but wooden Gloria Rueben (who has not aged a damn day since she was on ER.)

[OnyxRose]

Oh, I totally forgot about JGL so I take back my everyone was awesome comment. I like him but he was just there in the movie, nothing to write home about.

[Mugsy]

So I just saw this last night and... I found it tedious. Daniel Day Lewis was fantastic and deserved the Oscar, but it was so dull. I kept looking at my watch, flipped through a magazine and even dozed off for a few minutes. There was no suspense regarding getting the votes, since we all know how it turned out.

Sally Field was very Sally Field-ish. Screechy and overwrought and I get that that's required of the character, but she's just too Sally Field-ish for my taste. The dresses may have been historically accurate, but they were hideous, made her look 100 lbs heavier. An unfortunate time for women's fashion, I guess. The men looked great with their top hats and waistcoats, very dapper.

So many speeches, it was very Spielbergy. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone, but maybe because I'm not American so it's not a big part of my national history.

[Ginger]

Sally Field gained 25 pounds to play Mary Todd Lincoln, so I guess they wanted her to look heavier.

[bklynred]

This movie's been out so long, I scanned the movie names and thought this said 'Unicorn.' Sigh.