Wednesday, September 16, 2009
LAWYER ABE
Today's NYTimes Best Film was John Ford's
This is a very good movie.
There isn't a lot of patriotic hooplah. In fact, it is sort of Perry Mason kind of courtroom drama.
Fonda is sort of made up to look like Abe and they hired smallish actors. And that is the extent of how it is Lincolned up. Fonda is very good in the role. He keeps it simple. I think that he always did. For those too young to have enjoyed his career, too bad.
There are great scenes of what I think of as Americana. County fairs, country life, the early politics, the system of justice or not. Even a near lynching. Of white boys wrongly accused.
I enjoyed that Ward Bond was in this. I think that Ford used him in every film he made. A great character actor. Good or bad guy.
I will give this film a 3 out of Netflix 5.
Labels: best films
