Lincoln

Watched Lincoln on Saturday.
We haven't gotten into the habit of getting a babysitter(my older son says he is too old to have  a babysitter-he is 12-so I have told him that he can ignore the babysitter,and she, him-so in effect,he does not have a babysitter,he is just home alone with his brother,who happens to have a babysitter?!).
So the kids accompanied us-we had to bribe them with a huge tub of popcorn with a free refill and sodas(Full disclosure-inspite of being on a no-carb diet,I ate the popcorn-it was sooo good!).Noe ate the popcorn and stretched out to sleep.Emmanuel managed to stay awake,but declared the movie'boring'-at 12, anything that does not have 4 wheels and goes vroom vroom is boring, I think.
Anyway,the  movie was absolutely fascinating.No soaring music,rich settings or even fight sequences-if you don't count the verbal ones-but the sheer historical significance of what the movie depicts was enough to make it a thriller,even though you know how it ends.
The title makes one assume it covers Lincoln's entire life,but  this was just a slice of his time as President,but what a historic slice!!
The very fact that a single man can change the course of history needs to be understood by every single person on earth-for good or worse-case in point-Hitler.
Lincoln's explanation as to why he needs the amendment to go through and Stevens' opinion of why all men are not equal were thought provoking.
The most touching scene,for me ,was when the votes are being counted,how the House,the communications room,the outside of the House and the Oval office(if it was called that,then) are juxtaposed.And when the bells peal in jubilation, Lincoln stands there with his son,calm,collected.....very moving.
You look at our current president and understand his fascination with Lincoln-he owes his presence in the White House to him.To have had the prescience needed to push through an amendment that changed the face of America forever !!
Ofcourse Spielberg is a magician-but he has done a stupendouslygreat job on this movie.
Daniel Day Lewis-need we say more?
He is amazing in every movie he does and this one was no exception.I just found out he had a bit role in 'Gandhi'-he aced it!!I've watched most of his movies and he is fascinating.He disappears into whatever character he plays and Lincoln was no exception.You can see Daniel Day Lewis-but you mostly 'see' Lincoln.The physical characteristics helped immensely-the gait,the beard...
I think the downside of having accomplished,well known actors play well known figures is the inability of the public to look past the actor and just view the character.Daniel Day Lewis comes close to doing this in Lincoln.
Sally Field,Tommy Lee Jones et al were impressive,but again you look at Tommy Lee Jones and go,"Men in Black".And Sally Field and you go,"you like me,you really like me!"
I will buy the DVD when it gets out and save it for my kids to watch.And probably watch it a few times myself!!