The Conspirator (2010)

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  February 17, 2012

  bottcorecords1

  Robert Redford directs this film about the trial of Mary Surrat, one of the conspirators in the Lincoln assassination, and it's parallels to our own modern day government's suspension of habeas corpus at guantanamo bay. A young union war hero/attorney named Frederick Aiken (Jame... read mores McAvoy) is assigned to defend Surrat at her trial, even though it's against his will to do so. As the tribunal progresses however, Aiken is struck by the unconstitutional nature of her prosecution: from the military tribunal for a civilian case, to the lack of a burden of proof, the witness tampering and evidence-manipulating, Surrat's guilt is a foregone conclusion from the very start. Much of the blame for this could be aimed at Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton (Kevin Kline), who, in his fevered bereavement and loyalty to Lincoln and the Union, takes a hard stance at ensuring justice be meted out whatever the cost. Yes, as I said before, the film is meant to parallel our own time, as a national tragedy stirs the government to overreact and suspend our rights in the name of "protecting" us. While the film is adequately made, it lacks subtlety. Even if it's making valid points, the performances rarely rise above a basic cable melodrama.

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  November 27, 2011

  liquidchick76

  I was really impressed. Despite the lack of explosions, it manages to remain riveting. It's a really interesting slice of American history that gets buried under all the other fluff, and despite some tricky subject matter, allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions.

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  October 5, 2011

  cosmo313

  This is the debut film from the American Film Company- a production company who has made it there goal to produce history based films with a high level of accuracy, yet still be accessible. The stroy here concerns the trial of Mary E. Surratt, the lone female accused of being a c... read moreonspirator in the plot to assassinate Agraham Lincoln.
  
  What I found interesting about this film is that, surprisingly enough, it covered something I was not actually familiar with, because for some odd reason, this part of Civil War and post Civil War history was never something any of my teachers or professors ever felt the need to bring to students's attentions.
  
  This is a really intriguing story, and not just because courtroom dramas are cool, but because of a lot fo the context surrounding the plot and the trial. This is not a cut and dried story, but a rather complex and well developed set of conflicts, mostly involving Surratt's lawyer reluctantly deciding to represent her, mostly because he is a Union war hero, and defending her puts him in one of the most unenviable positions you could think of. Despite his reluctance, he begins to see that there is more to her story, and also more to the reasons for why there seems to be a conspiracy against her.
  
  This film had three historical consultants, and it shows .The dialogue, costumes, and sets are top notch. There are still some liberties and inaccuracies of course, but the film is more competant in it's goal for accuracy than it could have been. Being that Robert Redford directed this, it is a well-balanced film that is never one sided or thinly sketched. Also thansk to him, it tries to do more than just capture a certain historical event, as can be seen as a condemnation of current military tribunals against Islamic terrorists. This last little bit, though not unwarranted, isn't really necessary.
  
  Probably the most significant thing about this film is its cast. Robin Wright is wonderful in a very nicely observed performance as Surratt. It's a shame she's not given higher regard as an actress because she has a lot of talent. James McAvoy is also quite strong as her lawyer Frederick Aiken. The rest of the cast is overflowing with many notable names, even if some of them just show up for a scene or two then leave. Among them are Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline, Danny Huston, Colm Meaney, Alexis Bledel, and Justin Long. There's really not a bad lot in the bunch, though Long and Bledel do slightly overact a bit.
  
  Aside from a few minor but expected gripes about inaccuracy, the slight overacting, and the occasional overbearing "dramaticness" of this film, I'm quite pleased with it. The only major concern I have, and it's no small thing, is the film's pace. It's too slow, drags the films out, and makes it feel a lot longer. Thankfully the film is never boring, and there's a lot going on to make one think and keep them engaged, but yeah, this could have been less sluggish and a bit tighter.
  
  All in all, quite a nice film. I mean, I expect decent things from Redford, but this, especially since it concerned something I wasn't familiar with, really caught me off guard and left me feeling pleasantly surprised. You should give it a watch.

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  September 20, 2011

  itsjustme2004

  Not the fastest pace, most exciting movie around, but well done and EXTREMELY interesting all the same. This is a part of our history that I have never heard about before. It is quite astounding what happened during this time, AND even MORE astounding what happened afterwards. Ku... read moredos to Robert Redford's talent at delivering a really good story....true or not.

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  September 18, 2011

  bbcfloridabound

  Awesome Movie, Opened my eyes to parts of history I was never taught or knew about the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Directed by Robert redford, Worth every bit of 5 stars

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  August 31, 2011

  TheDudeLebowski65

  Being fascinated with history, I was very much looking forward in watching The Conspirator. This dramatic Thriller recounts the trial of the conspirators of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. One of them being Mary Surratt, the first woman to be executed in United States history. S... read moreurrat is brilliantly played by actress Robin Wright. The Conspirators has an amazing cast of talented actors starring opposite Wright. James McAvoy delivers a stunning performance as Frederick Aiken, the man appointed by Reverdy Johnson played Tom Wilkinson. The Conspirator is a well thought drama film that even though we know the outcome, its still riveting until the final moments of the film. The cast do a remarkable job here, and the story, though a bit heavy on the dramatic side, manages to be quite entertaining, and engrossing. The film is of course not that accurate, but a lot of it is, as I've read plenty of information on the subject, and watched a documentary on the plot to kill Lincoln, and its pretty close. This film is underrated, and though it's not perfect; it still a very good film supported by one great cast of talented actors. I personally think films like these, though not 100% accurate can open someone's mind, and peak their interest in the subject. The Conspirator is a well executed drama with a great cast and an astounding true story. The film like I said is not 100% accurate because of course the filmmakers have to make it thrilling for the viewer, but for the most part, director Robert Redford captured a unique part of American History on film even if at times the accuracy is in question, most of the content is real to the actual events. If you enjoy a good historical drama, then check this one out. Not perfect, but nonetheless very good.

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  August 16, 2011

  jjnxn

  Well made but grim retelling of the railroading of Mary Surratt in the aftermath of Lincoln's assassination.

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  August 13, 2011

  CloudStrife84

  Highly intriguing drama, about the aftermath following the assassination of U.S president Abraham Lincoln. Marvellous actors like James McAvoy, Robin Wright and Kevin Kline - employed to their full potential by the grace of a splendidly written script - makes this a compelling hi... read morestory piece, somewhat above the usual norm. Unfolding in a sophisticated fashion, the events that we become witness to are very interesting to follow. Particularily as I didn't have much prior knowledge of it, aside from the infamous incident at Ford's Theatre in Washington. If I'm gonna make note of its lesser sides, the first thing to bring to the table would be the inconsistent pacing. There are times when things get too talky for the story's own benifit, in which moments you may feel a little drowsy in the eyes. Or as Elvis so eloquently put it: "A little less conversation, a little more action please". Furthermore, it suffers from a very narrow color scheme, ranging from dark and foggy to various shades of brown. Granted that it's set in an era where electricity wasn't commonplace, but some better lighting and a little more contrast sure wouldn't have hurt. Other than that though, it's a fully credible enactment of this time of great tragedy and nation-wide unrest. A gratifying amuse-bouche in wait for Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, which I'm hoping will provide even better insight to the life and historic deeds of the "Great Emancipator".

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  July 15, 2011

  StarCrossedVoyager

  A brilliant and harrowing film documenting a tragic and difficult time in American history. Brilliant performances especially from McAvoy and Wright Penn. I love this period of time and it was interesting to find out about a subject I know nothing about. I did feel that I was exp... read moreected to have a basic knowledge of the events which was rather annoying and sometimes made it difficult to follow.

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  May 23, 2011

  willyt1

  This movie came out of left field for me. I had no idea what it really was about until my Dad took me to see it. It's a story of the trials of the killers of Abraham Lincoln. One bullet killed Lincoln but not one man. Mary Surratt is strongly accused of taking part in this pl... read moreot to murder the president and the film's focus is mainly on her. This is because she owned a boarding house and let John Wilkes Booth and his followers stay there before the murder of Lincoln. Did she help conceive the plot? Nobody knows for sure. That's up to the viewer. The movie is very emotionally-packed, almost too much. There are too many scenes of people's emotions boiling over in a court room. It's interesting at first but the movie makes itself too dramatic. The performances in this movie are fantastic. In fact, this is probably James McAvoy's best performance in terms of emotional depth and complex characteristics. He makes this movie what it is. Without him the movie would be below average. I would rather have seen a movie about Abraham Lincoln's life than see a courtroom drama about a time period after he's gone. I know it's been done before but I want to see a film about Lincoln himself, a new one, a more modern one. Not a biography or documentary, but a movie with actors. In this movie Abraham doesn't have any lines and we barely even see him. I bet Tom Hanks playing Lincoln and Steven Spielberg directing could make for a great movie. Anyone agree?

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• Robin Wright as Mary Surratt
• James McAvoy as Frederick Aiken
• Tom Wilkinson as Reverdy Johnson
• Evan Rachel Wood as Anna Surratt
• Kevin Kline as Edwin Stanton
• Alexis Bledel as Catherine Morgan
• Danny Huston as Joseph Holt
• Justin Long as Nicholas Baker
• Colm Meaney as General David Hunter

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

• 
  All the President's Men (99%)
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  Lions for Lambs (100%)
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  Amistad (100%)
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  JFK (100%)

• • Joseph Holt: Was this the man? [grabs a head of one of the Conspirators]
  • General David Hunter: No sir.
  • Joseph Holt: [he stands stunned, then realizing his mistake, he grabs another conspirator] Was this the man?
  • General David Hunter: Yes sir.
• • Frederick Aiken: It's not enough, is it Mr. Holt? It's not enough that you set the rules, you pick the judges. Now you have to turn my witness as well.
  • General David Hunter: Counselor control yourself.
  • Frederick Aiken: Control the prosecution! Every witness I wish to call has been turned by jail or the threat of it!
  • General David Hunter: Counselor I'm warning you...
  • Frederick Aiken: There is no limit to how far the prosecution is willing to go!
  • General David Hunter: That's enough!
• • Frederick Aiken: I'm just upholding my oath as an attorney and doing my job. That's what you asked, that's what you TOLD me to do.
  • Reverdy Johnson: This quoting me back to me can become most irritating. You have your mother's convictions and your father's annoying habits.
• • Mary Surratt: Have you ever cared for something greater than yourself?
• • Frederick Aiken: There is no limit to how far the prosecution is willing to go!

• What movie featured Alexander's lover, the daughter of House Atredes, a walking Nightmare,Smallville's leading villain, a Dawson's resident, an "X-File" conspirator, and a Cleopatra Jones wanna-be?  Answer »
• I have played a Danish prince, an English king who won the Battle of Agincourt, a Nazi conspirator, a scientist who creates a monster from corpses and a famous wizard author. Who am I?  Answer »
• Which of these characters is NOT a conspirator who plots to assassinate the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council in 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'?   Answer »

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