“Lincoln” (2012) is a fascinating movie for what it is, and for what it is not. It is not a biopic of the legendary president, full of fireside reading, rail splitting and debates with Stephen A. Douglas. It is a look deep inside the Washington sausage-making process that we know as American representative democracy. Along the way, it tries to reveal who Abraham Lincoln was, both his personality and what he stood for. It does a good job of that, although I doubt his every waking moment was spent earnestly saying profound things. Maybe he was just awesome like that.
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Muhammad Ali was the first great sports figure created by the television age. Everybody knows his story. So instead of trying to retell that story via a conventional biopic, “Ali” (2001) just kind of does its own thing. It’s a cross between an art film and a faux documentary. It’s fascinating, because, I mean, you know the real story, but you never know when the movie is going to stick to reality or just start freelancing a non-linear rearrangement of somewhat actual events. Best of all, Will Smith’s supporting cast is an awesome combination of minimalist and scenery chewing performances.
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