The Conspirator
2010  PG-13  DRAMA  2h 3min
CAST— James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Danny Huston, Justin Long, Tom Wilkinson
MUSIC— Mark Isham  DIRECTOR— Robert Redford  BASED ON— True events

     Think the death of Abraham Lincoln was the end of the story? Guess again. The next chapter culminated in the death of Lincoln’s assassin, the actor John Wilkes Booth. But what led up to this tragedy that robbed a nation of its president? There must have been extensive planning done by more than just Booth. And who were his co-conspirators? Our story centers on the political fallout of the assassination as those accused of aiding the killer are put on trial. In particular we are treated to a young lawyer’s (James McAvoy) grim determination to defend the sole woman accused, a landlord whose boarding house was used as a secret meeting place for those involved, young men scheming against Lincoln, all of whom were loyal to the Confederacy. But McAvoy will not have an easy time of it; the accused is a strong-willed widow who definitely knows more than she is telling. Even though facing death she remains tight-lipped about certain people and events that transpired in her home. A fascinating portrait of a lesser known piece of American history, one that changed the court system and the very rights of courtroom defendants. Gripping and intriguing throughout with brilliant performances by a vast cast. A surprise.
OUR RATING— ***