Lincoln

The anticipation for the 16th president's biopic based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's

Team of Rivals

has two conveniently divisive camps: Those who are Spielberg war drama disciples, and those who will follow Daniel Day-Lewis to the ends of the earth. I happen to fall into both categories. I would have to say however, that for this film, Daniel Day-Lewis wins.

I could imagine this film being created by another team, and perhaps with a different supporting cast, or another director, but after viewing, I simply cannot imagine any other actor, living or dead, who could channel Abraham Lincoln in the way that Day-Lewis did. Perhaps it's because he's the perfect age for the role, or maybe it's because he's just that damn good.

I was in awe of his screen presence from start to finish, and found myself imagining what his preparations must entail. He is surrounded by A-list actors in various roles, and I kept wondering "what must they be thinking, being in the presence of cinematic greatness?" There are a handful of exceptional actors in the world today, but Day-Lewis is in a class all his own. And deservedly so. He will become the first actor ever to receive 3 Best Actor Oscars, joining Jack Nicholson (2 Best, 1 Supporting) and Walter Brennan (3 Supporting Actor Oscars) as the only triple winners.

Premature you say? Not really. Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are amazing in The Master. Denzel Washington shined in Flight, and I'm very much looking forward to Silver Linings Playbook (Bradley Cooper) and The Sessions (John Hawkes). None of them however has the gift that Day-Lewis displayed as the great emancipator.

The film centers not around the life of the legendary leader, but around his desire to pass the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution before the Civil War is won. He knows that if it were to wait, the Southern delegations wouldn't vote to pass it, and there is already barely enough Republican support to pass it in the House of Representatives as is, so he digs deep in his bag of tricks, calling out favors to all of his constituents, and makes a pivotal play to the most Democrats just before the war ends at Appomattox.

Tony Kushner (Munich) deserves a great deal of credit for the success of this film. The dialogue and action, including introduction of characters and plot progression, hinge on his masterful writing. The other part is the brilliant supporting cast, but I'll hit on that in the next paragraph. Kushner makes the drama behind the Civil War accessible even to those who don't teach American History to middle schoolers, and creates tension in a mainstream, and family friendly way. However, from start to finish, the film never loses sight of the whole point. Progress and equal rights, which by today's standards seem obvious, but through Spielberg's lens is beautiful and poignant.

The supporting cast must have been clambering to work for Spielberg, and with Day-Lewis. In all, attached to this film, there are 8 Oscar wins, and an additional 17 nominations (my math may be a little off), but my point is, the cast is absolutely loaded with talent. Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (in a pointless role), John Hawkes, Bruce McGill, Jackie Earle Haley, Tim Blake Nelson, Jared Harris, Hal Holbrook, David Strathairn, Michael Stuhlbarg, etc. You get the point. They all get to wear ridiculous facial hair, and generally all contribute to the movie magic with each recognizable face that enters the frame.

You get a concise history lesson in the span of 2 hours and 20 minutes, but it is so much more than that. It's a tribute to the greatest American President in history, and an acknowledgement of the decisions he made that shaped our country to be what it is today.

The film may surprise a few because it isn't a comprehensive biography by any means. It glosses over the early years, the rise to political power, and even his initial reactions to the Civil War. Spielberg was also wise to avoid a dramatic assassination scene. Everyone knows how the story ends (spoiler?) - Lincoln is killed, and the North wins the war. Slavery has been abolished forever changing the southern economy. Spielberg does a nice, subtle job with this one. Not the Oscar fodder of years past, but instead, a film that stands on its own legitimacy. Mostly by the brute strength of Daniel Day-Lewis.

Skip this if you hate movies, but see it if you want a clinic on what it means to be an actor. Best performance, film, adapted screenplay, and probably director of the year. 10/10.