Lincoln [2012]

Lincoln is a 2012 production, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day Lewis as the famous American president who changed history. Written by Tony Kushner, it is a story dedicated to the United States, heavy on heartfelt speeches, anecdotes and passionate verbal fights between Congressmen.

Lincoln is not a great film; it has its flaws and, as far as Spielberg movies goes, it's not one of his best. My main problem is the script. As many stated before me, it is long, extremely long, even for 2h and a half. I would give an Oscar to DDL just for the amount of lines, funny stories and speeches he had to memorize and say. I appreciate the discussions of such important topics as slavery and human rights, but it just went on and on, with few interesting scenes (my favorites came towards the end, with Stevens celebrating at home with his special guest and the very end, the fact that they didn't actually show a crucial point of history, but instead showed it from a different perspective). It was very well written, don't get wrong, but a bit boring and long.

When it comes to technical or filmmaking aspects, I have nothing bad or good to say. It looked good, the sets and costumes, especially Abraham's appearance, were realistically done, but I wasn't impressed or attracted by the direction, like in other films.

My highlights of Lincoln were definitely the performances. I realized half way through that this was, indeed, Daniel Day Lewis, not Lincoln. Absolutely fantastic performance, one of the best I have seen- It is a hard part and he nailed it; I respect him just for the number of lines and speeches he had to memorize and do, all completed by the right mannerisms and professionalism. Another standout was David Strathairn as the secretary of state, who was equally calm, honest and gracious, as he was passionate. I can't not mention Sally Fields (terrific in some scenes, like the fight with her husband over Robert and Willie or the reception meeting with Stevens), and Tommy Lee Jones, as the old grumpy man who eventually comes through. Are these last two worthy of Oscars? Not really, but I would be fine with it. Besides that, to top off the superb casting, the rest of the actors involved were top notch, and just by looking at the IMDb list, you know you can expect a well acted film.

In the end, is Lincoln a great film? not really. Does it have amazing performances? Most definitely. Is it worth seeing it just for them? Hmmm.....maybe, plus it is nominated for many awards, so I suggested you watch it for yourself and decides if it's worth the buzz.

Hope Springs [2012]

Hope Springs is an easy romantic comedy, directed by David Frankel and written by Vanessa Taylor. It follws the story of Kay and Arnold, played by Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, a married couple who, after 31 years, don't have any passion or interest left to keep them together. Kay decides to change things and books a 1 week intensive program with doctor Feld played by Steve Carrell, hoping that her husband will learn to love and touch her again.

Hope Springs has an interesting script, a little bit static, but if you like in-depth analysis of relationships or personalities, then this is the movie for you. Moreover, it's a character study of the in and outs of people and some of their sessions are actually really interesting to witness, since thy uncover not only feelings and past situations, but also character traits and reasons behind some of the actions.

Although it is heavy on analysis, it does also feature funny, very awkwards scenes, that sometimes make you cringe, because well, they are older, and you feel like your parents could be like that, too. The cinema or the hotel room are just two examples of those kinds of moments.

Performance wise, as you would expect from a cast like this, eveything runs smoothly. Meryl Streep is just fascinated to watch; she plays a woman that does and knows everything, in the perfect housewife way, but hasn't actually experienced life. In one of the sessions, when she's tearing up, there is a close-up on the expression on her face- she showed years of experience and talent through one look, and that's just something that very few actresses nowadays can do; I love her. Tommy Lee Jones is Arnold, her husband, a very grumpy, complaining man, who's oblivious to his marriage problems. His chemistry with Streep was very good and believable and they worked perfectly with Steve Carrell, the third major actor. He gave a surprising performance, as he played a very serious part- I was actually expecting him to crack a joke or do something stupid, but no, he maintained his part throughout the movie and it kind of worked.

Overall, Hope Springs is a good movie that will make your night more pleasant, but of which you will forget in a day or two. Still worth checking it out, but maybe on DVD.