DVD REVIEW --- "The Conspirator"

This film is our first big screen look into the rest of the story behind the assassination of President Lincoln.  The film has a LOT going for it.  The film has a fantastic cast including:  James MacAvoy, TomWilkinson, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Danny Huston, and Colm Meaney.  The film has Robert Redford, who has won an Academy Award for his directorial skills and talents, as its director.  On paper, this should be a slam dunk.

Unfortunately, this film does not make the transition from paper to film.  The scenery is amazing.  The attention to detail for the time period is fantastic.  The CGI recreation of Washington D.C. at the time period in question is really awesome.  This movie is absolutely beautiful to look at.  That gorgeous scenery, the overtime put in by the Art Department and the CGI team is not enough to carry this film along.  The story is interesting.  However, the telling of the tale is so lifeless, and flat it all gets lost in the pretty pictures.

I am a fan of Robert Redford as a director.  That was the main reason I picked up this DVD.  However, after sitting through this movie, I can tell you a trip to the history museum would be a more entertaining (and informative) way to spend two hours versus sitting through this watching James MacAvoy fight an uphill battle that you know from the start (history buff or not) that he has no chance of winning.  

2 out of 4 stars (One star for the cast, the other for the amazing visuals of the film)

John M. Dunlap

The Hollywood Outsiders