Lincoln

I just saw Spielberg's new one and it's a really good film, carrying the weight of history well, and making a sort-of hero out of the firebrand, Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones) who I bear no small resemblance to, in attitude. (According to Wikipedia, Stevens was once a member of the Anti-Masonic Party, and "introduced legislation to curb secret societies, to provide more funds to Pennsylvania's colleges, and to put a constitutional limit on state debt.")

John Williams' score kept bringing tears to my eyes, which was kind of annoying, but was probably necessary for a movie about the nuts-and-bolts of politics. No shit - this is probably the most incisive film about how votes are garnered ever made, with lots of character actors in fine performances, including a mustachioed James Spader - plumper than we remember from his heartthrob days - playing a humorous ne'er do well lobbyist. But go see it - as always - for Daniel Day Lewis:

The man is easily the greatest actor of our day. 

All in all, this is smart, non-CGI filmmaking of the sort I'd be pleased to see more of,...