Actors: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader
Directors: Steven Spielberg
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Dreamworks
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Run Time: 150 minutes
Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
When it comes to Steven Spielberg, I have to admit his films are hit or miss. With his recent films I haven’t been a huge fan “The Terminal” was ah…ok, “Munich” was forgettable, as was “War Horse”. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is not a fan favorite. “The Adventures of Tintin” though is brilliant. So “Lincoln”, I can say is easily one of his best film that he directed in recent years. The acting was beyond phenomenal from Daniel Day-Lewis’ wonderful portrayal of our 16th President (yes haters, even his voice). Sally Field’s role was very intense and well done. Tommy Lee Jones, who was also nominated for many awards, did a damn good job (despite his Golden Globe death stare). Do not miss this film for sure. It is two and half hours, yet I have watched it twice and it flies by fast and gets only better with each viewing.
Official Premise: Capturing the danger and excitement of political intrigue, Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln chronicles the final four months in the life of the man regarded as America’s greatest President. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role, the untold story focuses on a defining moment in Abraham Lincoln’s life – as commander-in-chief of a country in chaos; as a husband and father afraid of losing his own son to the war; and as a man guided by his conscience to end slavery. With the Civil War nearing conclusion, President Lincoln fights to convince a fractious Congress to pass a Constitutional amendment that will change the course of history. Facing fierce opposition, he wages a battle of strategy, persuasion, and political muscle to build a coalition out of his team of rivals.
The Blu-ray comes in a combo pack with the Blu-ray disc and DVD disc included. There is also a digital copy included but it is only for iTunes. When is Disney going to get on the Ultraviolet digital copy-wagon already. I easily would prefer streaming digital to download digital. “Lincoln” looks absolutely amazing on Blu-ray. The 1080p transfer really feels very intimate and really compliments Janusz Kaminski’s amazing cinematography. “Lincoln” also received a very shocking DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. The film really is 99% dialogue based, so a little bit is lost here with the 7.1 but it is still quite amazing. John Williams’ score really takes advantage of this the most and the dialogue also benefits quite a bit and is very sharp.
The special features on this 4-disc BD/DVD/Digital Copy Combo are good but lacking any commentary tracks. “The Journey to Lincoln” is a decent look into the production with Director/producer Steven Spielberg, producer Kathleen Kennedy (aka the head of Lucasfilm), screenwriter Tony Kushner, actor Daniel Day-Lewis, production designer Rick Carter, “Team of Rivals” author Doris Kearns Goodwin and a few more. “A Historic Tapestry: Richmond, Virginia” is a very short talk about shooting the film in Richmond. “In the Company of Character” is is a chat with key members of the film on the performances in the film. “Crafting the Past” looks into the production design and costume work. “Living with Lincoln” is the shows the team taking the production into full-immersion in order to get the right feel. “In Lincoln’s Footsteps” focuses on the narrative and score with Spielberg, Kennedy, editor Michael Kahn, composer John Williams and others.