Lincoln Review

Steven Spielberg has been busy on his Abraham Lincoln project for quite a few years. Initially he had Liam Neeson in mind for the role of the 16th President of the United States of America. But when Neeson claimed to be too old for the part, the role went to Daniel Day-Lewis. After seeing 'Lincoln' it's hard to imagine any other actor portraying this historical figure.

'Lincoln' is an important film. It's not just a history lesson, it's also an impressive dramatical achievement. A movie about the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment could've been boring as a rock. Fortunately, Spielberg and his screenwriter Tony Kushner find real suspense in the final months of Lincoln's life. It's not just the immense importance of abolishing slavery that captures our interest, nor is it the conclusion of the American Civil War, it's the story of a steadfast group of individuals. People who used, and sometimes abused, the political system to do the right thing. 

At the center of this group is Abraham Lincoln, who, by now, is regarded as an icon of democracy. In 'Lincoln' we see him with his family and we see him struggle with the death of his second son, Willie. These scenes, accompanied by John Williams' solemn score, are at the heart of the film. It's as if, for the first time, we are able to see past his historical  importance, and experience that Abraham Lincoln was very much a man like any other. There's a gentleness to this film that seems to be directly inspired by Lincoln's character. 

'Lincoln' will be remembered as one of the finest collections of performances in film history. Daniel Day-Lewis transforms into Abe Lincoln. From the moment he appears on screen his presence dominates the picture. He captures an intellectual, who is no stranger to suffering, nevertheless he has a fine sense of wit, demonstrated by the handful of shaggy dog stories he tells during the film. Sally Field is remarkable as Lincoln's grieving wife Mary Todd. Her confrontation with Tommy Lee Jones is one of the movie's highpoints.

All performances in 'Lincoln' are rock solid. Some of Hollywood's most prominent actors bring their best, and the dialogues, of which there are many, are impressive and suspenseful. But of all supporting actors Tommy Lee Jones stands out as the Radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens, a lifelong abolitionist. Surprisingly, the most  heartwarming moment in 'Lincoln' belongs to this tireless grouch. 

Spielberg's film will not appeal every viewer. Many scenes consist entirely out of political debates and conversations. The issues are no less important, but if you're not interested in history you won't find much to enjoy in 'Lincoln'. Aside from that, the film runs a bit too long. There's a moment, about ten minutes before the actual ending, which would've been a perfect conclusion. Instead, Spielberg choses to include the night of Lincoln's assassination. It doesn't ruin the film per se, but I do feel it's a missed opportunity to end the film  in a most touching manner. 

Looper Review

Time travel has always been an enticing concept for filmmakers. George Pal showed us the year 802.701 in 'The Time Machine', Robert Zemeckis took us on three trips in a time machine with the 'Back to the Future' movies and on the small screen Doctor Who travels through time on a weekly basis. Popular culture is saturated with time travel and why not? How cool would it be to meet your grandparents when they were kids or to see beyond years and into the future? 

Unfortunately, the concept is rarely used intelligently. The implications of time travel are tremendous and it's high time for filmmakers to learn they can exploit them to create dense and intricate stories. 'Looper' is one of those films. Aside from being an excellent action film it is also a very smart science-fiction story. It handles the time travel paradoxes in an interesting and entertaining way. That's why it's one of the year's best movies.

In 2074 time travel will have been invented. The technology is immediately outlawed but the mob uses it to get rid of people. They are put into a time machine and blasted thirty years back in time. Upon arrival a hired gun kills them and destroys their bodies. The mercenaries are known as Loopers, they get good money for their work but it comes at a price. Sooner or later their older selves will come through that portal and the looper will have to kill him(self). It's called 'closing the loop'.

For Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) the loop is about to close. However his older self (Bruce Willis) is a wily one and escapes. The mob doesn't take kindly to this and set their dogs on both Joes. Now Young Joe will have to find Old Joe in order to save himself and his future. There are some other twists and turns which I won't spoil.,what I can say is that the story moves quickly and includes some very enjoyable surprises. 

Director Rian Johnson doesn't think of time travel paradoxes as bothersome. Instead he integrates these technicalities into the plot. What we get is a movie that's totally unpredictable but when we come to the conclusion we wouldn't want it to end any other way. Sure, after some thinking, little parts of the film don't quite seem to make sense but that's part of the fun. 'Looper' is a movie that will ignite discussions about the possibilties and impossibilities of time travel.. 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's transformation into a young Bruce Willis is also worthy to be talked about. His make-up isn't a complete success but the way Levitt copies Willis his mannerisms is uncanny. It's not the make-up but the acting that sells this very important part of the plot. Bruce Willis himself is also terrific. I can't imagine a better candidate for this particular role. It's also one of his most memorable performances in a very long time. He brings out the utter desperation of a character who only wants to return to his life.

To me 'Looper' is nothing short of genius. The story might seem gimmicky at first but it manages to convince  you before knocking you on your skeptical ass. This is a movie with a lot of smarts and enough energy to make it all seem effortless. It's not afraid to go to dark places or to have the most famous actor in its cast do some seriously despicable stuff. 'Looper' is a great film and a breath of fresh air for fans of intelligent science-fiction.