The Conspirator - 6 stars out of 10

The Conspirator - 6 stars out of 10

"The Conspirator" is an interesting period piece that brings to life one of America's toughest historical circumstances.  The entire film carries a sense of tension similar to what must have been felt as the North and South were at odds following Lincoln's assassination.  The film is slow-moving but I liked the script, developing sympathy for Mary Surratt and making a compelling court case for her innocence.  The strongest actor in the film is Robin Wright as Mary Surratt, portraying the entire spectrum of emotions from anger to fear to helplessness.  I also enjoyed Tom Wilkinson as the Senator, Danny Huston as the Prosecutor, and Kevin Kline as the Secretary of War.  James McAvoy and Evan Rachel Wood didn't reach the full potential of their lead roles and as a result, the film is just lacking something.  Even though the film doesn't have my highest rating, it is worth watching just for the cinematography of the final 10 minutes.  The images are vivid and the hanging is very artistic.  It isn't the best courtroom drama or Civil War period piece, but aspects of this Robert Redford-directed film make it worth watching.