Lincoln
Part biopic and part political examination, Lincoln is grand and intimate all at once, brilliantly framed by Steven Spielberg in a non-Spielberg way. Tony Kushner's jam-packed script makes the history lesson a fascinating one to learn, exposing the dirty, but necessary work needed to exact democracy. But it's the performances that truly shine. The large ensemble, which includes Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Walton Goggins, Jared Harris, Lee Pace and David Costabile, is top-notch, and then, of course, there's Daniel Day-Lewis, whose masterful turn as the 16th president will be studied for ages.