The Conspirator
The Conspirator
PG-13 | 15 April 2011 (USA)
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Mary Surratt is the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. As the whole nation turns against her, she is forced to rely on her reluctant lawyer to uncover the truth and save her life.

Reviews
CommentsXp

Best movie ever!

StyleSk8r

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

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Anoushka Slater

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

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Yazmin

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

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grantss

Like many people in their retirement years, Robert Redford's biggest pastime is writing letters to the editor. Unfortunately, his letters are two hour films. The Conspirator could have been a lot more than Redford ranting about injustice, but, unfortunately, it isn't. The story is told in a very heavy-handed sort of way, with no subtleties or grey areas. You never feel that this is an objective account of the trial of Mary Surratt. In addition, much of the movie is padding, making it fairly dull. Also, if you know your Civil War history, as I do, you know how the movie is going to end, meaning that there is no intrigue, and a sense of inevitability about it all.Decent performances though, especially from James McAvoy.

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zkonedog

I rented this movie because I enjoy period films about U.S. history, and what better event to be covered than the Lincoln Assassination?! Unfortunately, this courtroom drama fails in a number of aspects, with acting being first and foremost on that list.For a basic plot summary, "The Conspirator" tells the story of Mary Surratt (Robin Wright), accused of harboring the men who conspired to kill President Lincoln. With all the odds stacked against her, Surratt is given a military trial that she has no hope of winning. The only thing in her corner is lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy), who is persuaded to fight for her cause.As a courtroom drama, this film is okay. It touches on a few interesting themes and really shows the mood of the Civil War era. However, the acting is so poor that it never really sucks viewers into the proceedings. Besides Wright as Surratt, the acting performances fail in a variety of ways. McAvoy does not convey "period" whatsoever, the auxiliary cast isn't given much to do, and the laughable casting choices of Justin Long and Alexis Bledel only serves to further exemplify the acting in this effort.Also, "The Conspirator" does none of the "little things" right, like character depth. A romance angle with McAvoy's character goes nowhere, for instance, while the drama of the film is confined to the courtroom scenes and no others.Thus, I cannot recommend "The Conspirator" to those looking for anything more than a mediocre, stuffy period piece about a very specific topic. If you only want to see it because it has Lincoln on the cover, go elsewhere for your history fix.

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fonzy-62585

Overall the film brings in an enjoyable experience to fans of historical accuracy and to fans of emotional presence that is displayed on screen. I myself was very intrigued by the aspect of showcasing the anguish expressed by southerners in the film. How their disappointment and drive for the conflict between the North and the South was surely not yet over. Also in terms of the film in relation to Abraham Lincoln, I feel that this was done with superb accuracy. From the representation of his assassination to his absolutely mournful journey to his final resting place of Springfield, Illinois; it was all handled with great care. And although I was looking forward to seeing more of Lincoln in this film, I felt that attributes of his personality weren't left off screen but rather expressed by James McAvoy's character, Frederick Aiken. With Aiken defending Mary Surratt, played by Robin Wright, we see the heavily emotional and unpredictable events transpire between the two of them and practically all the people of Washington D.C. Furthermore it somewhat reminded me of a film titled Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) starring Henry Fonda as Lincoln. It contains similar characteristics such as the setting of a courtroom as well as the interesting and shocking dialogue performed between characters throughout. Finally, if you find the film to be slow or boring, than I believe you are not in search of the fantastic arrangement of displaying honor, emotions, and faith that is similar to other films involving the idea of President Lincoln and the Civil War.

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SnoopyStyle

It's 1865. Captain Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) returns as a hero looking to be a lawyer and be with his girlfriend Sarah Weston (Alexis Bledel). John Wilkes Booth and his companions attack the President and Secretary of State William Seward. After Lincoln's death, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (Kevin Kline) rounds up the suspects including Mary Surratt (Robin Wright). Her son John Surratt had escaped. Maryland Senator Reverdy Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) is Mary Surratt's lawyer and he asks Aiken to be his second chair. Major General David Hunter (Colm Meaney) heads the military tribunal. Johnson as a southerner wants the reluctant Aiken to take over the case. Sarah and his friend Nicholas Baker (Justin Long) are both initially shocked. Anna Surratt (Evan Rachel Wood) is Mary's daughter.It's a fascinating lesser known history. The problem for the movie is that she and her son are basically guilty of something. The story is interesting, but it is never elevated to a point where I actually care about her case. The government essentially found the right people. She may have been overcharged and the government may have railroaded her. At best, she knew of their conspiracy and she didn't stop it. I don't even think that the movie's position and whether she knew the conspiracy turn from kidnapping to murder is not a big deal. This is like an academic exercise although it's a very fascinating one. The movie is also hampered by some slow spots in its two hour running time.

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