Some movies are worth seeing in the theater. Some are only worth seeing on video. Some are worth seeing on video, but only if they’re free. And sadly, some aren’t even worth your time. With that in mind, today we kick off a new feature here at Kindle Fire on Kindle Nation Daily: Prime Screening Room. In the Prime Screening Room, I will offer my personal reviews of Amazon Prime Instant Video movies, to help point you toward (or away from) Prime videos you might not otherwise have seen.
First up: the historical drama, The Conspirator (PG-13, average review rating 4/5 stars, currently priced at $14.99 to buy, currently FREE for Prime members to view).
From director Robert Redford comes the riveting true story behind the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln – including the lone woman who was accused of plotting his murder.
My review:
This movie takes a fascinating look at a little-known chapter in American history. We all know the story about Lincoln’s assassination at the hands of John Wilkes Booth in a theater, but before seeing this movie, I didn’t know there was a full investigation into the murderous plot and an eventual execution following the infamous event. Of course, since the film is only “based on” true events, a lot more research would be required to learn how much of the film is true to history, but it’s a very interesting and well-told account, nonetheless.
Robin Penn (The Princess Bride) stars as Mary Surratt, a widow who ran a boarding house in which the men who planned Lincoln’s murder are suspected to have met. She is accused of being a co-conspirator: a charge that carries a sentence of death for those convicted.
As portrayed in this film, Surratt clearly was a sympathizer with the cause of the men who wanted to see Lincoln dead, but it’s much less clear how much knowledge of, let alone involvement with, she had where the assassination plot is concerned.
James McAvoy (X-Men First Class) is excellent as always in the role of Surratt’s young, somewhat naive, court-appointed attorney Frederick Aiken. Aiken is initially led to believe Surratt is guilty, then uncovers evidence that she may be the victim of a government conspiracy to trap the real killers. This adds a whole other dimension to the film’s title.
Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood, Danny Huston and Justin Long round out the quality cast.
If you’re a fan of historical drama, true crime drama, or the history of Lincoln, The Conspirator is a must-see. I give it 5/5 stars.
your review says $9.99 to own, when you click on the movie it says $14.99 to own. Which is correct?
Sorry about that – it appears that since the time this piece was written, Amazon has increased the price and removed the rental option — this is usually the result of a pre-existing agreement with the studio that released the film, which allows for discounts and rentals only during a specified time period. That’s why we always have to say “currently priced at” when quoting prices from Amazon. We’ll correct the post, thanks for alerting us to the change.