Lincoln Directed by: Steven Spielberg Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Rating: Not Yet Rated Release Date: November 9, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 9/10
Thoughts by TSR: I’m not going to admit exactly how many times I’ve watched this trailer – it’s in the double digits – but it really worked for me. While Lincoln is a film I’ve been passively looking forward to since it was first announced, I never would have expected this trailer to boost my excitement to this level.
Almost everything here is top notch. The craft work is as impressive as one would expect, from Joanna Johnston’s costumes to Rick Carter’s production design and everything in between. The one thing, though, that truly sets this apart is Daniel Day-Lewis as our 16th president. If I had one complaint it would be that there is too little dialogue from Lincoln (the entire thing is, however, mostly the tremendous supporting cast talking about/to him). That’s only an issue because Day-Lewis looks so stunning in the role. The transformation is remarkable, both vocally and in appearance. History shows that Lincoln didn’t have the booming voice often associated with him, so the vocal choice by Day-Lewis is perfect. His final lines – “This settles the fate for all coming time. Not only of the millions now in bondage, but of unborn millions to come. Shall we stop this bleeding?" – give me chills each time, and I can’t wait to see more of his work.
Lincoln is one of our greatest directors doing a film about one of our greatest presidents (played by one of the greatest actors). Take that, throw in this great trailer, and this has become one of the remaining 2012 films I’m most excited to see.