Steven Spielberg (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “War Horse”) directs the absolutely brilliant “Lincoln”, which features a smart script and is filmed just wonderfully. It certainly is one of the director’s finest pieces; that’s saying something.

Daniel Day-Lewis (“Gangs Of New York”, “The Last of the Mohicans”) stars as Abraham Lincoln, who wishes to free slaves across the whole country as the nation is being literally torn apart by the Civil War. Unfortunately, it isn’t going to be easy for the President to secure the votes to make this change to the United States Constitution. We see the President will do anything (even if it means breaking the rules) to make sure the thirteenth amendment is passed.

Daniel Day-Lewis is simply fascinating as Abraham Lincoln as he plays him both wonderfully from a visual point of view and he nails it from an audio angle. He made Lincoln human by adding a touch of humour. Tommy Lee Jones (“Space Cowboys”, “The Fugitive”) brilliantly portrays Thaddeus Stevens as he delivers some of the best speeches in the entire film and like Jones always is he is amusing at times. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Looper”) does a fine job as Robert Lincoln. I can’t say why but I wasn’t keen on Sally Field as Mrs. Lincoln.

“Lincoln” is a truly magnificent film that is fun to watch as well as intriguing to watch. I’d have to say that I’d probably enjoyed it a bit more had I been an American but there is so much great content here that giving it a lower mark would be wrong. Although I don’t know if it would improve it the film could have ended with Lincoln leaving the White House for the last time without the few extra scenes that follow. With great acting, a genius mixture of humour and emotion and just a general crisp quality to it all I feel Spielberg should be proud.