i love the biography genre!

While I can appreciate the attempt to make a historically accurate film, I would also have appreciated the making of an interesting film. McAvoy is very convincing, but the rest of the cast let him down, and the exaggerated ads didn't help him either...

Feels like a TV movie, but still an interesting courtroom drama.

It's like a history class. Is this stuff worth knowing? Yes. Is it still boring? Yes. The Conspirator offers a lot of introspection on the U.S.'s early history and offers a smart juxtaposition regarding how we prosecute modern day terrorists, but it is still a very boring film.

A handsome, thoughtful, and well-acted period drama with an important message. Nothing really wrong with it except that it is perhaps a little too tame. Needed more verve.

decent cast, nice setting and costumes. everything points to an enjoyable movie. but nah, its boring, unrevealing & pointless.

"The Conspirator is an über-genre movie, a hybrid of two classic Hollywood modes--the historical reenactment and the courtroom drama--that tries to satisfy the demands of both." - Paul Schrodt

Better than expected. Never really been a fan of Redford, but being a huge fan of the subject matter and the era, i decided to watch. Tho the pacing is off and tends to turn into a court drama once to often, it is still well enough constructed and acted to keep us watching , but could have been endlessly better

Redford's touch, merely instructive and well-informed, would fit some sort of Discovery Channel dramatization of the facts or some TV documentary about Surratt's trial, but feels completely dull to filmmaking. At least this one had a couple of good actors and two or three really nice scenes. Instantly forgettable.

Lots of people found it stiff, but I think that's part of the "period" realism. In any case, I quite liked it. McAvoy and the rest of the cast were well chosen.

really moving story and fine actors seems to be dragged down by Redford's old style, TV movie alike direction. But I guess that stiff storytelling also suits with the period.

Bit boring...

McAvoy's solid for the most part, but I couldn't help bashing myself over the head everytime I heard him say "But, how can I defend HER?!" Just do your damn job...

After the reading the reviews of the movie I wasnt expecting much from it. Overall the movie had an interesting story. The acting was at par at best. The movie doesnt have great direction. The only reason for the higher score was the topic of the story.

Average drama. Interesting to history buffs mainly.

Fine actors and an interesting topic, no doubt, but I found the execution to be very dry and academic and the emotional walls around the characters never quite came down. I felt educated but a bit less than invested.

Redford himself seems to believe his own legend; he has joined his knuckle-headed, self-righteous progeny -- George Clooney, Sean Penn and Matt Damon -- by directing a film that is as dull as it is politically hip.

A stiff, and clunky, prelude leads to some very fine work from some wonderful actors (namely, James McAvoy, Kevin Kline, and [debatably], Robin Wright), and an examination of American ethics, and justice... It's not gonna be for everyone... (But, it sure wouldn't hurt for every American to watch it...)

very good movie 10 out of 10

Intelligently presents a fascinating story from the annals of history, but increasingly feels like a History Channel original--which is bizarre, considering its A-list director. McAvoy is miscast, the world Redford creates feels more like a Civil War reenactment than actual space and there's no accounting for the overwhelming cleanliness of the costumes, which seem freshly laundered when they should look worn.

The Conspirator is a solid, effective courtroom drama with good acting, but it eschews historicity and realism in favor of a slick, streamlined Hollywood script, stagy delivery and glossy look. It could easily have been better and more memorable by straying from historical drama convention and trying to figure out how the events might really have transpired. Worthwhile anyway.

Crackling historical drama which uses the aftermath of Lincoln's assassination to draw clever parallels with more contemporary issues (subtly the Kennedy assassinations, but more obviously the treatment of terrorists/suspected terrorists in the last ten years). Excellent performances from a well-chosen cast (McAvoy wonderful as usual, Kline excellent in a return to form, Wright appropriately dowdy) bring life to Redford's best film since QUIZ SHOW.