"Shall We Stop This Bleeding"

Posters have left me cold. Stills haven't charmed. I've wondered whether anyone would want to see 'Lincoln'. This trailer, though, is so lush, so rich, it topples doubt and dismantles skepticism.

Yes, all the Spielberg markers are present -- the smooth camera technique, the usual excellent production value, etc. -- but here they seem fresh. Imagery is vibrant, alive. Sets impress despite that we've seen such spectacle time and time again. The music of John Williams is as familiar as ever but renewed (if not reinvented), and fitting, moving. And, of course, the performances...really, as focused as you'd expect and there's no surprise in that, but it strikes me there is more here. Why that might be is anyone's guess, but it caught me off guard.

This trailer is so enticing. It doesn't try, doesn't attempt to sell -- it promises. I don't believe anyone will go into the theater with fingers crossed, hoping the movie delivers, as is so often the case this time of year with one glossy campaign after another for movies that don't quite live up to the hype.

With this trailer, 'Lincoln' would seem to be a sure thing. I suppose, though, it's more correct to say, "'Lincoln' is a sure thing."

I'm betting folks will be swept away.




















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