Lincoln is obviously driven by a powerhouse performance from Daniel Day-Lewis. He truly embodies Abraham Lincoln. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought they dug up Lincoln's body and reanimated it. He was that good. 

One of the things that I love about film in general is that it can be so many things. Lincoln feels like a window into the past. When Abraham Lincoln begins to tell one of his stories, it feels like he's telling it just to you. 

The film takes a little bit of time to get going and runs the risk of getting bogged down with a lot of political jargon, but it takes off after that. Tommy Lee Jones also gives a superb performance and provides much of the comic relief. Sally Field plays Lincoln's grief stricken wife and her performance sheds light on a person whose claim to fame has historically been "Lincoln's crazy wife." 

Abraham Lincoln has always been a larger than life figure. It was interesting to see him come to life and be introduced to him not as a legendary president or tragic historical figure, but as a real person. A person no different from the men dying on the field of battle or the slaves that he was trying to free.