Lincoln

Steven Spielberg sometimes takes so long to decide what film to make that you hear about a film he has in development for ages before that film is released. 'Lincoln' is one such film.
I've spoken before about my problems with racism. It is an issue that I do not fully comprehend. I do not know how people can be biased based on skin colour. I know that the 13th Amendment was a big deal in the history of the USA so it is a shame that Steven has not managed to convey that importance. In much the same way I felt about the other Abraham Lincoln film released recently, I think you need to be American to fully appreciate what is going on. While I did not find the film boring, I did not feel engaged with the material and that I was just getting a history lesson. In 'Amistad' Spielberg was able to take the issue of slavery and make an emotionally engaging film that made you care about what was going on. Something he is unable to do here. I know that slavery is an important issue and this was an important event but I did not feel emotionally engaged with the issue so that I came to care about it. Part of the problem is that there are so many characters and issues involved that things are not always properly explained. Perhaps if I was taught American history at school I would understand it better. Most of my knowledge of American politics comes from watching the TV series 'The West Wing'. What I found most interesting was how much things have changed with regards to getting a bill passed into law and some that remain the same.
There is no denying that Daniel Day-Lewis is a brilliant actor and he gives another brilliant performance here but much like the problems I had with the plot, I did not feel emotionally engaged with his character. I found his performance very dry and mostly just a series of speeches. On the other hand we get more emotion out of Sally Field. She is brilliant and you feel more emotionally engaged with her character. We get a better sense of her difficulties with being the First Lady. Other cast members like David Strathairn, John Hawkes and Tim Blake Nelson are good but merely functional in the roles. James Spader manages to rise above his functional role to add some comedy to this dry film. Tommy Lee Jones is another actor that manages to give some emotional depth to his character. 
For me this film was very dry and emotionally lacking. Considering the issues dealt with you expected more. Especially from such a skilled film maker like Steven Spielberg.