Whenever Lincoln shifts from war politics to family drama, it becomes infinitely better for it. Mary Tyler Moore is outstanding as Mary Todd Lincoln and her descent into madness feels heartbreaking and real. Sam Waterston is less impressive as an ambitious, forceful Abraham Lincoln. There are surely liberties taken here, but Gore Vidal has offered some fascinating insight into these iconic figures.
Admirably, Lamont Johnson films most of this using dim or natural lighting. His color palette is appropriately drab. Despite spanning the course of Lincoln's presidency, this feels far more intimate than epic. It's a genial small-scale biopic.
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