Lincoln

A typically reverential treatment of (roughly) the last half-year of our most iconic president’s life. Given the suteur--Spielberg--one shouldn’t be surprised that this film comes across as equal parts dutiful myth-telling (or retelling, really) and vigorously-applied varnish. The latter applies especially so in the service of Mary Todd Lincoln, though her takedown of Thaddeus Stevens (great work by Tommy Lee Jones) is one of the highlights of the film. The real strength here is Daniel Day-Lewis’s masterful work in the title role. Over and above the performances, this could have been a lot better, could have rejected schmaltz and hagiography, could have presented a more probing, more insightful interpretation of Lincoln--and yet, it is still a good enough movie about a more-than-great historical character, and that elevates the accomplishment into a success.

Sex, Lies and Videotape

The lead off of Steven Soderbergh's hit and miss career, a turgid study of the lives of four boring people. Characters aren't enough, folks; we need reasons to care about these people. Those reasons don't show up here. Skip it.