Travis Simpkins

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Lincoln (2012): Daniel Day-Lewis, President Abraham Lincoln and the 13th Amendment

Directed by Steven Spielberg, Lincoln (2012) is a work of true cinematic beauty. In an astounding performance, sure to be amongst the best ever caught on film, Daniel Day-Lewis channels the spirit of Abraham Lincoln and becomes the man for the duration of the movie. For his work, Day-Lewis made Oscar history when he became the first actor to win the Best Actor Academy Award for third time in his career. The film deals with the final four months of Lincoln's life, in 1865, focusing on his struggle to pass the 13th Amendment to end slavery and bring an end to the Civil War. Wonderful costume and set design reflect careful attention to 1860's historical detail. The supporting cast is excellent as well, including, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon Levitt, David Strathairn and Hal Holbrook.

Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln

Tommy Lee Jones

Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln

Sally Field

Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln

US Capitol Building

Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln

Joseph Gordon Levitt

Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln

Ulysses S. Grant

Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln

Tommy Lee Jones

Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln

Sally Field

Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln

"Lincoln"- movie trailer

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003): Literary Superheroes and Freemasons

Literary characters from a bunch of unrelated 19th Century works are brought together to form an "Avengers-like" team in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003). The novels and stories referenced are: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Invisible Man, Jules Verne stories, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes and The Picture of Dorian Gray. The fantastical story finds a super-villain (who also happens to be a Freemason) plotting to start a World War by pushing one country against another so that he can gain extreme wealth from the weapons he is manufacturing. A team of "extraordinary gentlemen and a lady" are assembled to stop him… or so it seems. The special effects are hit or miss, but the film is enjoyable overall. Sean Connery is the only "Star" in the film, but the cast of relative unknowns handles the job well.