“LINCOLN” Movie Review. Dizzy Insights into an Iconic American President.

“LINCOLN ” PRESS PREVIEW

What our history teacher taught us and what our researches showed:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN was the 16th President of the United States serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865.

 He was the first president to die of assassination.

He was shot in the back of his head by John Wilkes Booth, an actor and Confederate spy from Maryland.

Lincoln’s assassination took place at Ford’s Theater in Washington, where he had been watching “Our American Cousin” on April 14, 1865, which was Good Friday.

He was shot once, at point blank range, at approximately 10:15 PM.

Once he was shot, he was carried from the theater to a boarding house across the street from the theater.

He remained in a comatose state for over 8 hours. Many doctors offered to help, and some examined the President, but there was ultimately nothing to be done, as the bullet was lodged deep in the President’s brain. He died at approximately 7:22 AM the following morning, April 15, 1865.

He was revered as one of the most compelling  icons in the history of the American political figureheads.

In the film, you’d never get to see the actual assassination scene.

It can never be shown as it had never been filmed.

What’s real and what’s reel is anybody’s guess.

 ”LINCOLN” the movie belongs to STEVEN SPIELBERG and he ensures that his treatment is discreetly controlled and competently executed.

During the period of his illustrious career as America’s most beloved President, LINCOLN had brought the US to greater heights.

Right smack in the midst of the American Civil War, he relentlessly confronted the issues of the constitutional and the military.

He abolished slavery and paved the way for economic and financial modernizations.

The movie only recalls a specific time in his leadership and a momentous time in history.

LINCOLN eventually succeeded in abolishing slavery through democratic means – the passing of The 13th Amendment of the United States.

Naturally, a strong man is often surrounded by his toady enemies.

This movie showcases the plight of a great politician who had refused to be pinned down by apparent obstacles during his rule.

He was human too, and like everybody else, life could be lonely at the top, specially at times when his actions were misunderstood by family and friends, yet he had the resilience and fortitude to plod on.

 DANIEL DAY-LEWIS shines in the role of ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

He fits snugly into his role adopting a soft-spoken persona bordering on wit to bring alive a battle-hardened crusader fighting his war against slavery.

The film has 10 nominations at Britain’s equivalent of the Oscars, including best picture and best actor for DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – though no directing nomination for SPIELBERG. There are 12 Academy Award nominations to reckon with, as well.

 ”LINCOLN” as a biopic is steep in American history and SPIELBERG assumes that the global audience will lap up the subject.

Nobody can doubt that it has the trappings of an epic with an admirable script and excellent performances by the ensemble cast. It is clearly a movie that will harness more attention in the West with its heavy dramatization and virtually no action.

Stretching 2 hours and 29 minutes long in preaching the political “gospel” – moving from two principal locations: battle field to court house may prove a trifle sedative for the audience.

One of the press members fell into a brief slumber for want of mental fatigue.

Honestly.

“WAR HORSE” Movie Review. In LIFE, if ANYTHING is DESTINED to be YOURS, it EVENTUALLY will.

“WAR  HORSE” PRESS PREVIEW

It had been some good years since I started to follow STEVEN SPIELBERG’s body of work.

I can often wax lyrical over some of his remarkable epics, notably ET, JAWS, SCHINDLER’s LIST, INDIANA JONES, etc.

These films are steeped in emotional and cinematographic content and the “lump-in-the-throat” scenes will surely tug at your heart strings.

Such is WAR HORSE, his newest offering.

It’s not a Hollywood star-studded feature.

It’s SPIELBERG’s first British collaboration with a coterie of UK performers who have done him proud.

Without any gore and a little show of violence, the tale meanders slowly in the first quarter, then speeds up, riding us through an amazing virtual tsunami depicting the harshness of war.

 STEVEN SPIELBERG is at the helm of this movie, and he simply can’t go wrong.

It may not be the most arresting like his earlier films, but nevertheless is a watchable one.

The focus is on the enduring relationship between a teenage boy and his horse and of the terrible war that sunders them.

Fate brings them together, chance separates them and eventually, fate reconnects them again.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, but let’s see what fate has in store.

Isn’t it true that if anything is destined to be ours, it eventually will?

“WAR HORSE” demonstrates that a divine friendship can exist between man and his animal.

It is set against a lush picturesque rural England, in tandem with Europe during the throes of the First World War.

We witness  a young stallion named Joey and his teenage master called Albert, who tames and trains him.

When they are  separated by unforeseen circumstances, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he gallops proudly through the war, affecting the lives of everyone he encounters–British cavalry, German soldiers, a French farmer and his granddaughter–before the story arrives at its tearful climax.

The WAR HORSE is a moving masterpiece in its storytelling, the splendid acting and stunning cinematography.

Notwithstanding a searing musical score.

SPIELBERG’s unflinching sentimental approach will worm its way into the heart of the young, the old and in particular, the animal lovers.

Go get mesmerized, but best bring along a hankie.

“SUPER 8″ Movie Review. The MAGICAL SPLENDOR of a SPIELBERG and ABRAMS collaboration rides on!

“SUPER 8″ PRESS PREVIEW

“SUPER 8″ is a beautifully crafted film, make no bones about it.

With two movie geniuses like J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg going for the price of a cinema ticket, you simply can’t go wrong.

It’s money well spent.

I will not dispute the ingenuity of J.J.ABRAMS (Mission Impossible 3, Star Trek).

But this “STEVEN SPIELBERG” name is irreplaceable. He is iconic.

So it’s drool time whenever a STEVEN SPIELBERG movie hits the cinema.

Forever targeting the family crowd, a SPIELBERG film (whether he helms or produces), conjures a magical treat for everyone, offering a deletable visual feast for both the eyes and ears.

SPIELBERG is a seasoned storytelling sci-fic guru who ensures that his productions serve a primary purpose.

He takes you on a journey of adventure – to astound, enthrall and entertain.

He’s stupendous in his craft and peppers his viewers with amazing surprises in each and every piece of his celluloid work.

And a rollicking one like this long-awaited feature called “SUPER 8″ produced by SPIELBERG and directed by J.J. ABRAMS will surely bring forth the “ooohs’ and the “ahhhs”.

The magic rides on!

”SUPER 8″ takes us back to 1979 into the fictional town of Lillian, Ohio.

This is nostalgia in its finest form.

A small group of gawky teenagers are innocently having a whale of fun – producing a home movie about zombies with an old Super 8 mm film camera, until they accidentally espy a mysterious train crash.

These are smart kids who know that something’s amiss,

that there could be a secret that lurks in the dark, and everything is more than meets the eye.

Shortly after, bizarre disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take shape.

When the local deputy Jackson Lamb (Kyle Chandler) searches for answers, he uncovers signs of an impending alien attack.

SUPER 8 the movie is superbly written and directed by J.J.ABRAMS in a peremptory tone that’s far different from SPIELBERG’s.

Yet it could have been a better work of emotive art, had it had stayed close to a coming of age story dramatically built against a backdrop of alien invasion.

Take “ET” and SCHINDER’s LIST as classic examples where we were moved to tears because in the closing scenes, partings are such sweet sorrow.

Instead this one “up-plays” on the wrath of an alien rampage theme as with any other alien movies and relegates the warmth and emotions of character development (a SPIELBERG trademark) to secondary importance.

This is a supernatural thriller with an interesting premise with cute teenagers as the main protagonists.

Kudos to the casting director for an acclaimed ensemble cast.

The gang of kids practically steals the thunder from the adults.

JOEL COURTNEY is wonderfully right as the wide-eyed, innocent kiddo in the lead role. He’s a rare find.

ELLE FANNING is a refreshing sweetie who lights up the screen as a troubled teenager from a broken home.

Let’s move on to the alien bit.

For most part of the film before the ending, we’ll be lucky if we are offered a glimpse of the monster.

Because of this, little suspense is generated as the director distances and distracts us from the creature.

You may wonder if “SUPER 8″ is an alien rampage movie or a coming of age saga because it seems to play the finale both ways.

Whatever the shortcomings, it is still a mesmerizing film that is thoroughly enjoyable.

Just remain in your seat when the film ends

to watch the credits roll.

You bet there’s a little bit more to come.

Stay braced!