Lincoln - Another Spielberg Masterpiece

***** out of *****

Running Time: 150 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13 for an intense scene of war violence, some images of carnage and brief strong language.

Steven Spielberg's passionate, fascinating character study of Abraham Lincoln is one of the year's best films. This absorbing drama, written by Tony Kushner (Angels in America, Munich) focuses on Lincoln's campaign to get the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, banning slavery, passed through the House of Representatives in 1865.

Overcoming rampant racism, the greed of lame-duck congressmen, opposition from his cabinet and other obstacles, the president, played magnificently and convincingly by Daniel Day Lewis, uses every ounce of his enormous personal popularity, as well as dirty deals, outright bribes and calls on conscience to accomplish his goal.

Lewis commands one's attention for every second he is on screen. He is aided by an outstanding cast, which includes Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, David Strathairn, James Spader and Lee Pace, cast against type as the villain of the piece.

Don't be surprised to see Lewis, Spielberg, Kushner, the film, Jones, Field and major technical elements of Lincoln rewarded with Oscars next February.
Do not walk. RUN to see this Spielberg masterpiece at your earliest convenience.

James Delson attended NYU film school, studying under Martin Scorsese and William K. Everson. He has been the film and television critic for WFUV-FM, WNYC-FM, Omni, Psychology Today and Fantastic Films magazines. He assembled an extensive private library of film research materials, numbering over 2,000,000 clippings which he used to prepare for 600 in-depth interviews with many of the most important filmmakers of the past four decades. Delson became the country's first computer gaming critic in 1983, his reviews appearing in Scholastic's Family Computing magazine. He donated his reference collection to the Museum of Modern Art where it was incorporated into their Film Study Center. Since 1984 he has owned and operated The Toy Soldier Company, which offers its vintage and current toys through a monthly catalog and an on-line website: www.toysoldierco.com.