Preview: The Conspirator (2011)

Synopsis:

Director Robert Reford takes us into a dark part of our past as he explores the military trial of accused Lincoln asssassination conspirator Mary Surratt.

• Poster: B-

Review:

The poster is an interesting work up of the idea of the tarnishment of Lincoln's legacy at the hands of overzealous, vengeance-seeking military leaders wanting to punish those responsible for plotting Lincoln's death. The cracked facade, not evident on the real Lincoln monument, conveys that metaphor well.

• Trailer: B-

Review:

While the editing and pacing of the trailer is fairly standard, refusing to highlight the actors of the film in an effort to build name recognition takes some guts, especially for a story which will leave many people who aren't interested in U.S. history expecting more an ultimately not giving it a chance.

Oscar Prospects:

An April release generally means a failure to connect with test audiences, which means the makers aren't confident in its ability to work Oscar magic. This could have been Reford's best shot at an Oscar nomination in some years, but timing is everything in Oscar campaigns and this kind of film doesn't do well in this berth.

Release Date:

• April 15, 2011

Full Review Synopsis:

I have not seen this film.

-Wesley Lovell (April 10, 2011) Original