Recensioni degli utenti

Robert Redford's The Conspirator dramatizes the military trial of Mary Suratt, a boarding house owner accused of harboring conspirators and being involved in the plot to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. It is a strong, if somewhat obvious, drama that depicts the mood of hysteria that followed the assassination, and suggests its relevance to today's politics. Written by James Solomon who spent fourteen years researching the story, the film opens with a brief introduction showing the agony of combat troops in the Civil War, then focuses on the assassination of the President on April 14, 1865 by actor John Wilkes Booth (Toby Kebbell), a Southern partisan and his companions Lewis Payne (Norman Reedus), David Herold (Marcus Hester), and Samuel Arnold (Jeremy Tuttle) at the Ford Theatre in Washington, D.C..

Stealthily entering the President's box, Booth shoots Lincoln in the head, then leaps onto the stage shouting "sic semper tyrannis" (thus always to tyrants), and escapes on horseback. The assassination results in an outpouring of grief all over the country, and prompts the Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton (Kevin Kline) to vow revenge against the conspirators. After a two week search, Booth is found hiding in a nearby barn and shot to death, while seven suspected co-conspirators are arrested including Mary Suratt. Suratt is tried by a military tribunal where the rules state that only a majority vote is required for a guilty verdict and a two-thirds vote is needed to sentence a defendant to death. It is a court where a defendant is prohibited from testifying in their own defense.

Senator Reverdy Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) from Virginia and a former U. S. Attorney General agrees to defend Suratt on the grounds that she is innocent until proved guilty. The Senator, however, withdraws because he fears that being a Southerner might prejudice his case, and asks Frederick Aiken (James McEvoy), a northern attorney to defend her. Initially reluctant and dubious about her story, Aiken resolves to prove her innocence after seeing that the defendant was up against an overbearing prosecutor (Danny Huston), a biased head of the tribunal (Colm Meany), and the behind-the-scenes antagonism of Secretary Stanton.

At great cost to his personal life, Aiken tries to prove that Ms. Suratt knew the boarders who lived in her house, but was not involved in their conspiracy. As the case progresses, it becomes apparent that only her son John (Johnny Simmons), a known conspirator who fled to Canada, can save his mother by surrendering. While there is limited dimension to the characters, The Conspirator is true to the historical record and the film presents its message in a clear and powerful way. Redford, long a champion of civil liberties, implicitly reminds us that the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution expressly guarantees that "no person shall be deprived of life without due process of law" and provides no exception for war.

It is not only an important message for those unfamiliar with our nation's history, but is strikingly relevant to the present day in which hundreds of detainees at Guantanamo still languish in prison without trial, where a U.S. citizen, suspected of terrorist activities, is targeted for an assassination attempt without having been charged with, let alone convicted of, any crime, and where the ideal of due process and the presumption of innocence is slowly being replaced by unlimited violence, the repudiation of legality, and the undermining of democracy.

I had the pleasure of viewing this film at a press screening recently, as well as hearing an interesting Q&A afterwords. I was very impressed with this film.

I've read extensively about the topic of the Lincoln assassination, and came into the theatre expecting another Hollywood style period piece, one that minces facts and creates story lines where there are none. I came out feeling very contented, and a little teary. This movie is very well acted and truly conveys the emotion felt by the characters in history, unlike some civil war films.

This movie truly is about the struggle between justice and country. I won't give much away, but the emotional conflicts in this film are very deep and strong. I was very surprised at James Mcavoy's handling of the character, and more so his good American accent :D. Robin Wright and other supporting cast are also superb. Do see this movie when it comes out! It's a fantastic drama that will keep you at the edge of your seat, mixed in with fantastic period details. Any fan of American history and the civil war will enjoy this.

The Conspiritor uses an event that happened 150 years ago to tell a story which is all too familiar in our time. The backdrop off a shocking, sad event and the following massive public outcry pushes the powers to be to extreme measures, which they stand by because they feel to be forced to do or because they really believe it to be the only right thing.

Robert Redford has been well known for his political views and has displayed them already in the somewhat uneven Lions for Lambs. I like filmmakers who speak out. I can maybe not always agree, but I wholeheartedly admire that in this time of mindless action drivel like Transformers, Drive Angry and The Mechanic there is still hope for without trying to be arrogant: meaningful films. Redford uses the assassination of Lincoln to portray a nation in mourning and sadness. The Civil War was all but over and the policymakers were already planning the next step: the forming of a real Union. The assassination of Lincoln endangered the entire Union. The people wanted revenge and Edwin Stanton (an excellent Kevin Kline) serves it cold. Since her son is nowhere to be found anywhere, he settles for the next thing: his mother Mary Surrat. 'I don't care which one it is, as long as one of them pays the price'. Young Frederick Alken (James McAvoy) has the ungrateful task of defending her.

I don't know much about the Civil War and the period after that, so I can't say how accurate this film is. But what I can say is that it's a masterpiece in creating a period not so distant from our current world. If you replace the assassination of Lincoln with the 9/11-attacks, you have a film that stands firm. It asks relevant questions and holds a mirror right up to our faces. Are seeing clearly? In the sadness and outrage of such a shocking event, do we still see clearly what's going on? Do we still, as a people, have perspective enough to define friend from foe from guilty to innocent? Do our leaders have the capability, strength and courage to make us see or tell us 'no' when we are wrong? Or do policies, political views or elections hold them back and make them just give the public what they want? Mary Surrat, Lincoln, Osama Bin Laden, Afghanistan, Bush, Edward Stanton, Abu Grahib, post Civil War Washington, Guantanomo Bay. History repeats itself over and over again. When will we learn? Guilty or innocent. Is it important? Do we care? I give this film 8 out of 10.

THE CONSPIRATOR may have had difficulty at the box office because of the controversy over the use of military tribunals that rings across the media today. But this film, based on fact but altered somewhat for cinematic purposes, deals with probably the first misuse of a military tribunal - the infamous trial of the assassinators of President Abraham Lincoln by a conspiracy of citizens, most especially the non-military affiliated Mary Surratt. James Solomon wrote the story and co-scripted the screenplay with Gregory Bernstein. The director is Robert Redford who manages to give the entire film the feeling of mid-19th century aura - visually and politically - and suggests there is little difference between the approach and consequences of that time and the current management of 'anti-government' prisoners.

The film opens with some scenes from the Civil War battlefield where we meet the severely wounded soldier Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) attempting to save the life of his buddy Nicholas Baker (Justin Long). The film then jumps to the end of the war when the Confederate generals have surrendered to the Union generals and parties are underway. Aiken and Baker have survived and Aiken has decided to pursue law. The President is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth and in the aftermath Booth is killed but it is discovered that there was a plot to kill Lincoln as well vice president Andrew Johnson (Dennis Clark) and secretary of state (Kevin Kline). The response of the nation is terror and the suspects of the conspiracy are arrested and set for trial. The conspirators had been meeting in the boarding house of Mary Surratt (Robin Wright) so the military decides she must also be a conspirator and tried with the others 'to put this madness to an end.' The men in charge of the tribunal include Joseph Holt (Danny Huston) and David Hunter (Colm Meaney). There is one lawyer, Reverdy Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) who feels that the tribunal is not an acceptable manner in which to try a citizen and assigns the fresh new lawyer Frederick Aiken to defend Mary Surratt. At first Aiken hates his role but as time passes and he gets to know Mary Surratt he is convinced of her innocence and implores Mary (and Mary's daughter Anna - Evan Rachel Wood) to reveal the location of the true problem in their family - Mary's son John (Johnny Simmons). The story features the change of approach of Aiken and the abuse of justice at the trial and the film ends with some very poignant lessons not only about our history but also about our present.

The pacing of the film is slow at times, but the cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel and the musical score my Mark Isham keep the film involving. James McAvoy offers a sterling performance and the rest of the cast is impressive. THE CONSPIRATOR is a healthy dip into our nation's past and makes us more alert to our nation's present.

Grady Harp

Once again, the young actor JAMES McAVOY gives an earnest and altogether convincing portrait of a man assigned to be the defense lawyer for Mary Surratt, accused as one of the conspirators in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Since the whole story is told from his point of view, it emerges as a realistic depiction of how events might have unfolded, taking no firm stand on the innocence or guilt of the accused. As the nation mourns the sudden death of its leader taken from them just as the Civil War ended, we are told that justice must be swift to heal the wounds of the public and satisfy a thirst for revenge. It's that viewpoint that makes this film relevant today, in view of other controversial historical events, but first and foremost the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

One glaring quibble: Apparently, to fully immerse the viewer in this time of history and to suit the flavor of the grim tale, Redford has chosen to use very muted color photography so that this is almost a sepia tone experience. But do we have to be reminded so flagrantly that this was the candlelit era? Scenes outside of the courtroom could have used flashes of real color, as could the social circle interiors of other scenes instead of keeping the low-key lighting so constant. It became a distraction for me. He may as well have used glorious B&W.

Other technical aspects are fine and the background score is effective without becoming overwhelming. ROBIN WRIGHT PENN plays Mary Surratt with quiet dignity and strength. KEVIN KLINE is almost unrecognizable as the stubbornly determined EDWIN STANTON seeking quick justice, EVAN RACHEL WOOD is effective as the distraught daughter Anna Surratt, and JOHNNY SIMMONS is sobering as the accused woman's son who manages to escape imprisonment for his role in the John Wilkes Booth caper. His character, unfortunately, isn't fleshed out at all.

Biggest supporting role goes to TOM WILKINSON as the man who urges McAvoy to take the defense case against his wishes. He and McAvoy share most of the running time on screen and do magnificent jobs.

History buffs will no doubt find this more interesting than the average movie fan looking for a more adventurous look at the past, but despite flaws, it is competently made and does recreate the actual events in a satisfying manner by use of flashbacks and an intelligent script. But did it have to be so dark?

Greetings again from the darkness. While not a historical expert, I commend writer James Solomon for his years of research into a fascinating, yet quite dark moment in America. Many have attempted to couch the film as presenting Mary Surratt as an innocent bystander. I would argue that the film is much less about her innocence or guilt, and much more about the state of our country's leaders and the judicial system at the time of Lincoln's assassination.

I found the two strongest elements of the film causing quite an internal conflict as I watched. First, the film is simply gorgeous. Costumes, props, sets and lighting all lead to a texture that puts the viewer right into the mid 1860's. Second, the courtroom (and backroom) procedures generate a feeling of disgust. Although, we have had very recent examples of less-than-stellar judicial process in the U.S., we Americans still hold on to the belief that ours is the best and fairest system around.

It was very interesting to see Kevin Kline as War Secretary Edwin Stanton. Stanton was the guy calling the shots during this time and evidently had quite a power hold on the military, as well as the government. His viewpoint that the country needed a swift and decisive conclusion to this tragedy makes absolute sense ... unless you happened to be one of the accused, or their legal counsel.

The lead actors in the film do a very nice job of capturing their characters and holding us in time. In addition to Mr. Kline, James McAvoy plays Frederick Aiken, the Union war hero and reluctant defense attorney for Mary Surratt. Tom Wilkinson plays Senator Reverdy Johnson who, as Aiken's mentor, recognizes all elements of the procedures. Evan Rachel Wood portrays Anna Surratt, Mary's daughter. She has few scenes, but each is quite powerful. Danny Huston is Joseph Holt, the prosecuting attorney, who clearly has free reign to do whatever is necessary to ensure a guilty verdict. Other supporting work is provided by Toby Kebbell (John Wilkes Booth), Norman Reedus (from Boondock Saints), Stephen Root, Johnny Simmons and Colm Meaney. The two miscast roles are courtesy of Alexis Bledel and Justin Long.

I found Robin Wright's stoic portrayal of Mary Surratt to be quite mesmerizing. Her strength and motherly insistence on protecting her son was absolutely believable. In my opinion she should gather consideration for an Oscar nomination when the time comes. This is not a showy performance, but rather the foundation of the story.

Lighting of the time was thanks to candles and lanterns, and director Robert Redford masterfully captures that on film. We are always hoping for a bit more light on the characters or in the courtroom. Instead we get the feeling of being present. I did find some of the "buddy scenes" to be unnecessary, but the scenes with Wilkinson and Kline more than offset this weakness.

This is the first film from The American Film Company, whose mission is to present historically accurate films on American history. If their initial entry is an indication, we anxiously await their next projects.

Wether the story is accurate or not The Conspirator is a good movie in it's genre. I'm sure the historical facts must have been about right so for that alone it's interesting to watch, espacially for a European guy like me that didn't know anything about this story. Courthouse movies are normally not really my kind of movies but this one is well done with some excellent acting. James McAvoy did a really good job playing Frederick Aiken, a Northener in the Civil War, and now attorney defending a Southener and that against his will at the beginning. The story is about the trial of the conspirators of the murder of Abraham Lincoln. A military trial almost impossible to win, as almost everybody is biased and eager to find somebody guilty no matter what. It's about injustice and the joke that is the American penal system. A good interesting story with good actors.

"The Conspirator" is an impossible trial to win, but it's tried by the best cast in the best manner possible. Heroes returned home from the Civil War to be greeted by the Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton (Kevin Kline) and other high-profile members of the War Department. President Abraham Lincoln was occupied elsewhere.

After the assassination of Lincoln, we follow not so much the trials of the conspirators, but the trials of lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy). McAvoy has quickly forged an incredible career where he has a propensity to play the man next to historical figures and provide us with an inside view (like the doctor to Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland" or secretary to Leo Tolstoy in "The Last Station").

Here, McAvoy is the very patriotic soldier-turned-lawyer defending Mary Surrat (Robin Wright), the lone female conspirator. The film focuses only on Surrat's part of the trial of the conspirators, mostly because this film is about her lawyer. A devout supporter of Stanton and the Union, Aiken believed that Surrat was guilty and spent just as much time proving her guilt as her innocence. His internal struggles accepting everything that he had to do and what he should do were rather profound. I also think they make up McAvoy's best performance of his career. Too bad that the Academy will have forgotten it by the time the Oscars come around.

Like the best historical dramas, Redford never comes out and says if he believes that Surrat was innocent or guilty. "The Conspirator" isn't about that. This is about the trial. His views on the use of a military tribunal versus a civil trial are clear.

I was blown away by the impeccable production, the cast, and the sheer atrocities committed by so many of the characters not on trial. There may have been a few artistic licences taken, but I doubt it was with the extremes to which some military personnel will go. The great Kevin Kline and the up-and-coming Johnny Simmons play the two least sympathetic characters in the movie. Phenomenal casting is just one the great aspects of "The Conspirator".

For almost a decade now, James McAvoy has been rising the ranks of the acting elite by giving reliable performances as varied as he is reliable. He's gone from a soldier trying to survive for his love to a bona-fide action star to a charismatic young man caught between two passionate, bickering lovers. Through it all, he has remained consistent and always managed to make a huge impression even when starring opposite big names like Forest Whitaker and Helen Mirren. Here in The Conspirator he takes on another role that wouldn't seem instantly appropriate for him, that of a Civil War-era lawyer and makes it entirely his own and manages to amaze. He brings his own unique charm and charisma to the role but never plays it too light; when the big dramatic court scenes come around he can hold his own against a strong veteran like Danny Huston. He's powerful, resilient and absolutely commands your attention. If anything, this film is even more proof that McAvoy is one of the finest actors of his generation.

The rest of the film, however, doesn't play with as much gusto as McAvoy's performance does. He stands as the lawyer for Mary Surratt, the lone female charged in the trial for those who conspired in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. It's a story that I certainly was familiar with, but not fully aware of all the intricate details. As a piece of historical work, director Robert Redford and writer James D. Solomon play it out pretty well, giving us important facts and remaining historically accurate while still making it quite exciting at times. The scenes outside of the courtroom leave a bit to be desired and a lot of the supporting characters are pretty thin stereotypes for your usual courtroom drama, but overall this talented cast manages to keep you compelled throughout. McAvoy steals the show, but Robin Wright definitely impresses as Surratt, a woman who knows more than she lets on and Wright has some very excellent scenes later in the film. Evan Rachel Wood also manages to shine in a few scenes as Surratt's daughter who has to suffer the sight of watching her mother stand trial for this horrible crime.

For the most part it's pretty standard fare, but it does it all in a pretty skilled way. Nothing manages to impress too much, aside from McAvoy, but there aren't any major detractors either. I suppose my one big complaint comes in the form of Redford himself. The men conducting the trial and prosecuting Surratt are definitely men who are more out for revenge than they are legitimate justice. They are out to bend the rules in their favor to get the result what they want. Redford, however, makes them too villainous to the point of making it hard to believe them as actual people. These people existed and were real human beings, but Redford turns them more into caricature villains out to hang an innocent woman. Within the film it definitely makes you frustrated along with McAvoy's character and it makes you emotional and angry, but it's all a little heavy-handed. Aside from that though there isn't too much going against the film, but there also isn't a lot to make it anything worthy of a large amount of praise. It does it's job well, but it's job is relatively standard.

Saw the film today, I was very impressed. Yes somethings looked wrong (mostly uniform items) but on the whole a job well done. Great film locations and acting. James MacAvoy follows his outstanding performance in Last King of Scotland with a tour de force. Robin Wright plays her role just right. Kevin Kline's performance might be my favorite of his ever. Outstanding period feel with great on site shooting at homes in Savannah, GA. Got the impression that at least the film company made a serious effort to get the look right. The Q and A after the screen I attended really highlighted the efforts they put into the film to get it right. Noted historian James McPherson was a consultant strongly recommended film when it comes out on April 15th.

McAvoy and Wright are strong anchors to the historical plot involving the conspiracy to kill Lincoln. Wright (who is on the confederate side) wasn't directly involved, but her son was. McAvoy's goal is a fair trial and ultimately the supreme court granted civilians trials with a jury because of his actions.

I was reluctant to see "The Conspirator" because it has racked up a critical consensus of a kind I dislike: the film is said to be cold-hearted, and to make political points with a heavy hand. Neither of these, happily, turns out to be true. The film is utterly impassioned, and its interest for today is nicely noted without being too underlined. Nearly every element one wants in a great film is there: visual beauty, strong acting, fine pacing, stirring and well-made music. But there is a flaw. The creators have taken their creation too seriously. There's not a shaft of levity or humor anywhere. A requirement for great art is thereby missed. It doesn't matter how somber the subject is supposed to be. King Lear has his fool; even Wagner's ultra-dark Ring cycle has its powerful currents of humor. It's got to be there; otherwise, the whole organism suffers. I think this is the weakness to which reviewers have responded, even if none of them has precisely named it. On that ground, the film falls short of greatness; but in every other respect it approaches or achieves greatness. "The Conspirator" is hugely recommendable and I will certainly see it again.

This film started out on the battlefield filled with fresh dead corpses and bleeding soldiers. However, it didn't take long for the movie to dive in and begin introducing the lives of the characters and the high society they live in. About twenty minutes into the film, if not sooner, we see the Lincoln assassination conspiracy unfold and soon after most of the conspirators captured in a rapid succession of scenes. Once this is done, the movie then settles into a very steady pace that is consistent throughout the rest of the movie.

Now that we have the intro done let's talk about what I thought were the positives of the movie. The first and strongest aspect of this film is the acting. The cast in this movie were professionals and filled their roles to the letter. The cast was completely believable, and do a good job sucking the audience into the civil war era. The passion and emotion are captures brilliantly, and there are plenty of times where you feel as if you are part of the movie. Unlike other films I have recently seen, I felt there was no overacting in this film and felt as if I were again watching a movie and not a soap opera. A second positive aspect was the well written dialogue that this movie had. Instead of being filled with cheesy one liners, sleazy innuendos, and choppy sentences, this movie was filled with a wonderful variety of lines that continued to paint the setting of this movie. The dialogue was further supported by the wide variety of characters this movie had to offer. There were corrupt politicians, comedy relief generals, worried girlfriends and family members, and lawyers of intense justice. These cast of characters kept the movie interesting and added a variety of view points on a common issue. Finally I would say that the camera work is done well. Many scenes are shot from a variety of angles, many capturing the scenes perfectly and adding even more emotional debt to the fray. Combine this with the music, and you get even more emotional sentiment from this movie.

Okay the bad parts of this movie. The first is that I found some of this movie to be slow, which had me dozing off. There were many times that I was ready for the scene to get moving and return to the case at hand. I understand that character development is important, but make sure to keep it moving and not dawdle on one scene at a time. Next the filter they used on the camera had a grey aspect to it, which again added to the movie feeling slow and boring. A third weakness could be the ending of the movie, which I don't want to reveal as it spoils about two thirds of the movie if I do. However, some of you may be okay with it and some may be really upset by it. I will let you be the judge. If the camera work and slowness are something you are not bothered by however, then you should be just fine with how this movie plays out.

To wrap up this review, again I did find this movie enjoyable, but at some points did find it slow. The character development, acting, and dialog capture you into the film and setting of post civil war, which was a big selling point for this movie. My recommendation for audience members who will like this are fans of the law part of law and order, those who like historical based movies, and those that are fans of political movies. One last thing I care to mention is that history buffs may not like this movie depending on the accuracy of this story. I have no idea how historically accurate this movie is, but those that know there history could pick out a lot of flaws. So until next time this is rgkarim signing out. Please let me know how I can improve my writing by writing to rgkarim@mail.roanoke.edu

Robert Redford has assembled an impressively strong cast to bring to the screen a very important and poignant story. Watching this film a couple of weeks ago, I did not know what to expect. What I got was a great film about the trials of the people that were involved behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Robin Wright delivers one of the best performances of her career, in a role that seemed tailor-made for her.

Redford follows up a politically charged film (Lions for Lambs) with a historically charged film, that definitely is not light on the politics. However, he does succeed at presenting the unknown story of a loving mother and clearly stating the events that followed Lincoln's assassination.

The film transported me back in time. Beautifully shot, supported by amazing art direction and costumes, and driven by James McAvoy strong performance, "The Conspirator" stands as a movie for the times, that will definitely be revisited for years to come.

The movie was good, It wasn't great but i liked that James Mcavoy was the lead actor i think he did a very good job at not being too shy as a lead role. They also made the movie so that it wasn't just for history buff so that a average person who doesn't know much about what happened can follow and understand the movie. Another that was good was that it was mostly historically accurate, of course there were somethings that they had to make over dramatic for the sake of the movie, but most of the movie was realistic. And when you watched the movie you didn't see many mistakes, it was like that they were more concerned about what the movie was like instead of getting the movie done by the due date.

I saw this movie twice with two different friends who wanted to go. I thought it was great the first time and even better the second. The second time I watched from the perspective of believing Mary was guilty and was surprised that I enjoyed it even more that time. Robin Wright and James McAvoy do an amazing job in portraying real, complicated human beings. Kevin Kline seems villainous, but can also be read as a strong man in the grip of emotion and overwhelming responsibility. The cast is riveting, with breathtakingly well-done small and large parts. Couldn't take my eyes off Stephen Root and John Collum during their time on the screen. I enjoyed it and it got me thinking. There's real subtlety here -- art and history brought together.

Saw the film for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and I must say that I thought it was Fantastic!! I couldn't believe that this was a true story, given that I had never heard of Mary Surrat or the trials that happened after the assassination of Lincoln. As far as performances go, James McAvoy and Robin Wright were outstanding. Robin brought such grace and poise to the role, I just wish she was on screen more!! I thought Redford did a great job transporting his audience back to one of the most pivotal moments in American history. Overall a great cinematic feat. Thank you "The Conspirator" for bringing such an interesting story to light!!

The Conspirator is a courtroom drama about those involved in Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Major history buffs might already know the tidbits presented in this story, but I was a political science major in college, and even I was surprised by parts of the plot.

Seven men are on trial, as well as one woman, the mother of one of the co-conspirators. The only man who steps up as a defense lawyer for the accused is the young and inexperienced James McAvoy, and he comes across countless obstacles as he tries to give Robin Wright her right to a fair trial.

If you didn't know Robert Redford directed this movie, you would probably think to yourself, "James McAvoy must really like Robert Redford!" As it is, I'm sure he does like Robert Redford, as does the rest of the all-star cast, since stars famously vie to work for the father of Sundance. If you close your eyes during some of the courtroom speeches, it almost sounds like Redford himself is talking. I think the directorial influence on the leading actor is rather cute, and it's easy to imagine that had this movie been made thirty years earlier, the defense lawyer would probably have been blond.

The Conspirator has beautiful, realistic set and costume design, and the men in the cast—McAvoy, Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson, and Colm Meaney—seem authentic in their surroundings. My biggest complaint about the film are the ladies. Neither Robin Wright, nor Evan Rachel Wood, and especially not Alexis Bledel, seem like they belonged in the 1860s. Trying to ignore Bledel's contemporary face and voice is impossible, but thankfully she has a very tiny part. Wood also feels very contemporary, the way she moves and the patter of her speech. And even though Wright has a plain face and doesn't sound like a California valley girl, she still seems contemporary. Women were treated differently back then, and a woman her age would have a completely different aura from decades of living in the 1800s. Wright feels like an independent woman who has never been mistreated or disrespected.

That criticism aside, if you like that era of history, this is a very good movie to watch. Robert Redford is an excellent director, and it's very fun to see McAvoy project his essence in the lead role.