Other than the lack of a second act montage detailing Abraham Lincoln's struggles with drugs and/or alcohol, this looks like a pretty conventional biopic. But of course, A) it's a very conventional biopic trailer and B) War Horse turned out to be a far darker and somber film than it's somewhat upbeat marketing campaign suggested. Still, and I'll gladly eat crow if I'm wrong, I can't imagine what new commentary or insights an Abraham Lincoln biopic has to offer at this point in time, especially one seemingly crafted so as to not offend those who understandably revere the man. At the very least, I can only presume that Lincoln will be a splendid acting treat, with major turns by Daniel Day Lewis and about a bazillion others (check out 1:43, for a look at Jared Harris as Ulysses S. Grant next to someone who looks *a lot* like Seth Meyers). The film may turn out to be a haloagraphy, and perhaps there is no fault in that. But come what may, this one will be worth seeing purely for the performances on display, as well as the sheer fact that Steven Spielberg is still determined to matter this much 41 years after Duel. I underestimated War Horse. I can only hope I'm underestimating Lincoln. Anyway, this one drops November 9th in limited release before expanding on November 16th. As always, we'll see.
Scott Mendelson
Scott Mendelson
3 comments:
" I can't imagine what new commentary or insights an Abraham Lincoln biopic has to offer at this point in time"
A tragic comment from you.
I'm pushing 60 and can't remember a time when the nation was so politically polarized. Vietnam which I remember very well was generational. This divide current is unlike anything the country has endured since the 1860's. Baby Boomers such as Spielberg and Doris Kearns-Goodwin understand this very well.
I don't disagree in theory, but the fact that Spielberg intentionally delayed the film's releases until after the presidential election implies a certain toothlessness and/or an unwillingness to create a 'past is prologue' symbolism with the picture. If they had something truly impactful to say about today's political climate, I'd argue they would have released it in time to actually make some kind of difference in the next major political contest.
We can hope for something from the Tony Kushner screenplay, can't we? I really didn't think the trailer seemed like a Tony Kushner movie, so maybe the meh is marketing.
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