5. Daniel Day-Lewis As Abraham Lincoln Lincoln
20th Century FoxMore of a political drama than a biopic, Lincoln focuses its attention on the attempts of Abraham Lincoln to pass the Thirteenth Amendment (which would abolish slavery) before the end of the Civil War. Its a quite an achievement to play one of the most revered and celebrated political figures of all time without either overcooking the performance or trivialising it; few expected less from Daniel Day-Lewis. Day-Lewis paints Lincoln as a dignified and wise individual, one who has been worn down by years of tragedy and one who has faced a great deal of political and moral strife throughout his career. Still, the overwhelming tone emitted by Day-Lewis Lincoln is one of warmth and amiability, a puckish man who jokes and tells stories to those he meets. Spielberg lends the film his typical sentimentality, ensuring that the audience feels nothing but affection for the man. Thankfully, Spielberg makes no attempt to add conflict to Lincolns character beyond what is already there: there are no childhood flashbacks, no overbearing metaphors and no schoolboy attempts at psychoanalysis of the Great Emancipator.