Wisely avoiding the usual biopic template, Spielberg focuses on a specific period in Lincoln's life and his attempts to pass a critical amendment to the US constitution. Indeed, many of Spielberg's directorial flourishes are absent here and even the score by Williams is understated. Spielberg seems happy to let his cast and the script do the work and rightly so as he has a great cast of supporting actors and a script worth dwelling on without distractions. Whilst a great performance is expected from Day Lewis, he continues to amaze with how he seemingly inhabits any role he plays. He IS Lincoln and even the cast seem in awe of him and the character he plays. What is also surprising given how serious the subject matter is, is how much humour there is within the script. If there is a flaw, it is in the final moments of the film. The inclusion of Lincoln's assassination would be expected going into this film, but when it arrives, it seems tacked on and unnecessary, given the focus on the constitutional amendment. Perhaps it is a mark of how good the film is and what a significant piece of history it covers that it would have been far better to leave the audience remembering Lincoln's achievement rather than his death. Otherwise a great film!

I liked to learn more about the U.S. history, but for non-american audience is a little deep. Amazing Daniel Day-Lewis.

A movie that I should have liked a lot more, especially with such phenomenal individual components. The acting is great (but what do you expect with Daniel Day-Lewis). The screenplay adaptation is really good. The story itself is very interesting, focusing on the passage of the 13th Amendment which doesn't often get that much play in films about Lincoln. The directing is standard Spielberg, for better or worse (you kind of know what you'll get with Spielberg). But when you put these great elements together, it feels like something got lost, that the movie is less than the sum of its parts. It genuinely surprised me that I came away feeling like this. It's hard to say if the individual parts didn't quite mesh together well, or if they somehow interfered with each other, or if it was so played-up that it couldn't meet my expectations. These aren't exactly objective reviews but reflect my opinion. Recommended, but again, with reservations.

A well-done film. Daniel Day-Lewis, is, as usual, amazing. Slow-paced, but historically accurate, conveying the complexity of politics and the times.

BoriNg !