James McAvoy disappoints as a Union hero who takes on a difficult legal case. He comes across as callow, though in fairness, the role isn’t written well.

Robin Wright fares modestly better as Mary Surratt, the Conspirator of the title.

The rest of the cast – including big names Kevin Kline and Tom Wilkinson – make little impact.

Redford’s film fails to make a tortured trial easy to follow, especially when the defense’s claims challenge common sense.

The film is an OK period piece, though that becomes thin consolation as it grinds its political axe.

If Redford wanted to pick on Civil War era civil rights abuses, perhaps he should have chosen Lincoln’s suspension of habeus corpus. In any case, politics makes strange bedfellows, what with a Lefty director making a movie that lionizes a slavery-supporting woman who ran a hothouse of Confederate treachery.

If the killers of our greatest President – the man who ended African-American slavery and saved the Union – aren’t deserving of full-throated condemnation, who is?

• BigdaddyDave Apr 21, 2011 8:31AM

  Probably a good assessment. Good movie, and worth seeing, but a bit heavy and methodical.

• Wick Apr 20, 2011 9:17PM

  Regarding BigdaddyDave’s Review
  Helpful review BigD. I almost took this in last weekend but chose Atlas Shrugged instead.

  I’m thinking that The Conspirator will now have to wait for streaming before I see it, but at least I know it’s worth seeing.