Lincoln

Exactly what you'd expect from Hollywood's most archetypical director doing a biopic of Abraham Lincoln. An important part of American history is turned into a cheesy drama with predictable build-ups and an overdose of sentimentality, saved only by a grand budget skillfully applied.

Lincoln has devised a plan to end the war, to do that he has to get enough votes to push Amendment 13 through the House of Representatives. It's the Amendment that will abolish slavery, a key turning point in US history. The vote is close and Lincoln will have to be crafty to get what he wants.

The performances are decent, the cinematography polished, but beyond craft there's very little on display here. The score is corny, the structure of the film feels manipulative and there are no characters of life and blood here, just glorified heroes. Your typical Spielberg production, in other words, I'm not a fan.