DEATH OF TRADITIONAL CINEMA

A mix of conflicting emotions and uncertain ideals surround Robert Redford's historical drama THE CONSPIRATOR. Capitalizing on the infamous assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, the film shifts its emphasis onto a little known fragment of said event, namely the inquisition of the only "identified" woman conspirator, Mary Surratt.  Those who have little or no background on Surratt will find themselves on a thrill ride; the trial itself is a fiasco, and the outcome, though not necessarily inevitable, comes as a surprise. Past the second half of the film, you get visual hints as to what will happen to Mary Surratt in the end. A simple search on Google will tell you; I didn't have such liberty and didn't want to spoil my viewing experience so I went along. I was satisfied. Very. James McAvoy plays the young Union Captain Frederick Aiken, who after the war returns to being a lawyer, and is designated by Senator Reverdy Johnson (Tom Wilk...