I’m not sure I necessarily buy the Twitter reaction craze that has swept through Awards seasons in the past few years. Nonetheless, I wonder if I might be wrong about Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln after all. The film screened tonight at the New York Film Festival. These early reactions suggest an uneven film lead by a wonderful screenplay and a standout performance by Tommy Lee Jones. Apparently Daniel Day-Lewis isn’t as cage-shaking as we are used o.
I suspected Tony Kushner might have something up his sleeve. The film might be slow but actually a bit more interesting then the two trailers let on.
Seeing as the Best Supporting Actor and Actress categories are fairly weak, this early buzz for Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field thrusts them straight to the top of each list.
Here are some reactions that struck me:
Lincoln is heavy on the politics. But I loved all the behind-the-curtain government stuff. Kushner’s playwright roots all over it. #NYFF
Matt Patches @misterpatches 
Steven Zeitchik @ZeitchikLAT Spielberg’s LINCOLN is the best film Roberto Rossellini never made. Also one of the best Spielberg did make. #notareview
Bilge Ebiri @BilgeEbiri Also I think Kushner is as much the auteur of LINCOLN as Spielberg is. His understanding of myth, process, history is all over this.
Also met @joereid long enough to form Oscar nerd hive mind opinion that Tommy Lee Jones can easily win Supporting Actor. He steals Lincoln
kateyrich @kateyrich LINCOLN: Sophisticated, erudite political procedural from Spielberg and Kushner. Genuinely superb. #nyff
Reverse Shot @reverse_shot Lincoln movie is unlike any other Spielberg movie in that it’s almost entirely driven by dialogue instead of action or visuals #NYFF
Andrew Ku @PlaybillAndrewK Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader and Sally Field are standouts in the cast of Lincoln
#Lincoln makes a sorta thriller out of passing law. Misses in connecting story to real people except briefly with Tommy Lee
Murtada Elfadl @ME_Says 
Bram Benderoff @Bramsky600 
Evan Schwartz @izzio123 @AwardsDaily I don´t know how everybody will see this but I think DDL was “underused” by Spielberg
Filipe Otávio @filipe_otavio 
Chris Narine @thechrisvolta Tommy Lee Jones just locked down that Supporting Actor nom #AmazingPerformance #Lincoln #NYFF
The NYC Film Chick @TheNYCFilmChick 
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