The Conspirator (2011)

Robert Redford's latest directorial effort involves the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and one of the assumed conspirators of the crime: Mary Surratt, who ran the boarding house where John Wilkes Booth often visited her son and others to plan crimes against the Union. But this movie isn't so much about her as it is about Fredrick Aiken, the lawyer who defended her during her trial. Aiken is a very interesting character; as a Northerner he is blinded by patriotic vengeance and cannot see any sign of innocence in Surratt, but as the film progresses he sees how fixed and manipulative the trial is and fights for her rights. He does not care about Surratt herself, because he still believes that she played a major role in the horrible crime, even if he does have some doubts. What he is fighting against is the injustice, not the crime. This is where the movie really works. There is no real way now or then to know whether or not Mary Surratt was innocent or guilty. The movie is more concerned with Surratt as a human being than Surratt as the possible criminal, and that is a good thing

As I said, Aiken is an interesting character, which is why it so unfortunate that actor James McAvoy could not play him more interestingly. He uses exaggerated facial expressions like he's in some sort of bad play, and his voice stays distractingly monotone throughout, even when it turns into a shout at random intervals. He is not a bad actor. We have all seen him do better than this, which is what makes it so frustrating that this below average performance headlines this otherwise great movie. I have to wonder if Redford is more to blame than McAvoy on this point, because surely that would not have gone so unnoticed. It's a good thing then that Robin Wright is so brilliant as Surratt. She shows us a woman who is strong and defiant towards what is happening to her, and yet she has weaknesses and gives us plenty of cause for doubt. You can see in her face she's hiding something, but just exactly what is not certain. But she becomes a very accessible character because she is so human. Wright does not play her like some sort of wronged heroine, but rather with a quiet acceptance and determination at times, and then ultimately anguish. Wright makes her performance feel real and not like a movie character, and this does much good in overlooking McAvoy's acting.

The Conspirator is a very straight-forward and almost conventional movie. It almost gives the impression of being an inspirational movie, as it follows the traditional mold of that genre, but there isn't anything here that's incredibly inspiring. The main character goes through a lot of suffering that is subsequently forced onto the viewer. There is also no happy ending and no big victorious win for the hero. Plus, the hero is very hard to relate to because of a major casting flaw. What we end up with is a good movie that has just enough flaws to keep it from being great. It is a semi-depressing film that may give more emotional viewers trouble, but it is also a very powerful and memorable experience. I applaud it for just showing the facts; for not turning this almost forgotten story into a blatant allegory for current events, and for not pushing one view or another on the audience. In the end, The Conspirator is a competent and entertaining drama, and, these days, that's good enough.

8/10