Bridge of Spies (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Master filmmaker Steven Spielberg has done it again with his 'Bridge of Spies', a tense, inspired-by-real-events Cold War thriller. The story opens in Brooklyn in 1957 at the height of the Cold War btwn. the U.S. & the Soviet Union, where quiet painter Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is captured/accused of being a Russian spy. Concerned that Abel receives fair representation, the government approaches prosecutor-turned-insurance lawyer James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) to take on quite the challenging case: defend the spy. Although initially reluctant, Donovan warms to the idea after actually meeting his would-be client and insisting on 'due process of law'; even if it means having to appeal to the Supreme Court. Although the jury finds Abel "guilty", Donovan's ensuing arguments spare Abel the death penalty.
However, his outspoken defense of such an anti-American criminal earns Donovan the ire of his fellow citizens; not to mention the concern of his family (including wife, Amy Ryan). An already sticky situation grows stickier yet when a U.S. Air Force spy plane is shot down in Russia and U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is captured by the Soviets. Jim Donovan is then recruited by the CIA to fly to East Berlin to broker a covert prisoner exchange with the Soviets ... Powers for Abel. This requires Donovan to travel to East Berlin & meet with both KGB & East German officials in circumstances that could best be described as dangerous.
His 'dangerous' deal is further complicated when on the day the Berlin Wall goes UP, an American student, Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers), is wrongfully arrested as an American spy. The justice-seeking Donovan wants both U.S. citizens freed, while the CIA's only concern is to get Powers out (they really couldn't care less about the student). Everything culminates on the snowy Glienicke Bridge, where a cunning Donovan must bargain with his hypocritical CIA handlers, the sly Russian KGB chief, & a sneaky representative of the German Democratic Republic. The clash btwn. the 3 nations involved as they try to save face is something to behold.
Written with polish by Matt Charman & the Coen brothers, 'Bridge of Spies' engaged me with its crisp storytelling & intelligent dialogue. Though the film is a 'conventional spy thriller', director Steven Spielberg still knows how to keep us, the viewers, on the edge of their seats. An example of this would be the film's 1st scene, where we quietly, methodically watch our "antagonist" weed through a city while being followed by government authorities. We expect a big blow-out/explosion. But instead, a much smaller 'release' occurs; yet, one that also sets the pace, tone, & narrative trajectory of where we'll go for the next 2 + hours.
Tense as the movie is, there are also some very tender moments btwn. Donovan & Abel, the Russian spy. Abel is touched by Donovan's courage in going against the mood of a vengeful Unites States. He sees Donovan as an upstanding man; a man with idealism, principles, & the nerve to do the right thing. These moments represent Steven Spielberg's essential respect for humanity to you see in every one of his films. Tom Hanks is excellent as our negotiator hero with a zeal for justice. Critics have mentioned that Jimmy Stewart would've played this role in the 1950s, and they are right. Hanks is also as engaging as ever, even in a fairly straight dramatic role. And Broadway vet Mark Rylance commands the screen with finesse & a quiet intensity as the calm-cool-collected Abel.
Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski lends an ominous deep blue/grey hue to the proceedings and dazzles us in a scene when Powers ejects from his spy plane & falls through the sky to an unsuspecting Russia. And production designer Adam Stockhausen deserves accolades for transporting us back to that 1950s era -- it's just marvelous. Now, 'BoS' could have been edited a bit tighter. There's a touch of Spielbergian whimsy afoot (sappy moments, too). And some characters get shortchanged. But overall, Spielberg does a great job re-creating that tense period of history. His fascination with exploring history (Schindler's List, Amistad, Munich, Lincoln) is evident. And I found this espionage thriller (with contemporary relevance, I might add) to be an absorbing & highly satisfying experience.
However, his outspoken defense of such an anti-American criminal earns Donovan the ire of his fellow citizens; not to mention the concern of his family (including wife, Amy Ryan). An already sticky situation grows stickier yet when a U.S. Air Force spy plane is shot down in Russia and U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is captured by the Soviets. Jim Donovan is then recruited by the CIA to fly to East Berlin to broker a covert prisoner exchange with the Soviets ... Powers for Abel. This requires Donovan to travel to East Berlin & meet with both KGB & East German officials in circumstances that could best be described as dangerous.
His 'dangerous' deal is further complicated when on the day the Berlin Wall goes UP, an American student, Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers), is wrongfully arrested as an American spy. The justice-seeking Donovan wants both U.S. citizens freed, while the CIA's only concern is to get Powers out (they really couldn't care less about the student). Everything culminates on the snowy Glienicke Bridge, where a cunning Donovan must bargain with his hypocritical CIA handlers, the sly Russian KGB chief, & a sneaky representative of the German Democratic Republic. The clash btwn. the 3 nations involved as they try to save face is something to behold.
Written with polish by Matt Charman & the Coen brothers, 'Bridge of Spies' engaged me with its crisp storytelling & intelligent dialogue. Though the film is a 'conventional spy thriller', director Steven Spielberg still knows how to keep us, the viewers, on the edge of their seats. An example of this would be the film's 1st scene, where we quietly, methodically watch our "antagonist" weed through a city while being followed by government authorities. We expect a big blow-out/explosion. But instead, a much smaller 'release' occurs; yet, one that also sets the pace, tone, & narrative trajectory of where we'll go for the next 2 + hours.
Tense as the movie is, there are also some very tender moments btwn. Donovan & Abel, the Russian spy. Abel is touched by Donovan's courage in going against the mood of a vengeful Unites States. He sees Donovan as an upstanding man; a man with idealism, principles, & the nerve to do the right thing. These moments represent Steven Spielberg's essential respect for humanity to you see in every one of his films. Tom Hanks is excellent as our negotiator hero with a zeal for justice. Critics have mentioned that Jimmy Stewart would've played this role in the 1950s, and they are right. Hanks is also as engaging as ever, even in a fairly straight dramatic role. And Broadway vet Mark Rylance commands the screen with finesse & a quiet intensity as the calm-cool-collected Abel.
Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski lends an ominous deep blue/grey hue to the proceedings and dazzles us in a scene when Powers ejects from his spy plane & falls through the sky to an unsuspecting Russia. And production designer Adam Stockhausen deserves accolades for transporting us back to that 1950s era -- it's just marvelous. Now, 'BoS' could have been edited a bit tighter. There's a touch of Spielbergian whimsy afoot (sappy moments, too). And some characters get shortchanged. But overall, Spielberg does a great job re-creating that tense period of history. His fascination with exploring history (Schindler's List, Amistad, Munich, Lincoln) is evident. And I found this espionage thriller (with contemporary relevance, I might add) to be an absorbing & highly satisfying experience.